CITY MANAGER REPORT

October 10, 2025

City Council Adopts Public Safety Sales Tax:

Critical Funding for Police & Animal Control

At last night’s City Council meeting, the Council voted unanimously to implement a 0.1% sales tax increase dedicated to public safety. The new tax will go into effect January 1, 2026.

Earlier this year, the Washington State Legislature passed a law allowing cities to adopt this small increase to support local police, fire, and related programs. For Des Moines, this means our total sales tax rate will increase from 10.2% to 10.3%.

To put that in perspective:

If you buy a $100 pair of shoes, you currently pay $10.20 in sales tax. With the new rate, you’ll pay ten cents more—$10.30 in sales tax.

For every dollar of sales tax, the City of Des Moines receives 8 cents. The rest goes to the State, County and regional agencies such as Sound Transit or the Fire District. The graphic below shows how a dollar of sales tax is divided among various governmental entities. This new 0.1% local sales tax will stay entirely within Des Moines (You can learn more about your tax dollars here.)

How the funds will be used:

• Hiring one additional Police Officer, increasing the number of sworn officers serving Des Moines
• Returning funding to Animal Control services
• Covering increased costs for State-mandated public defense services
• Supporting the mental health crisis co-responder program

These dollars will be placed in a dedicated Public Safety Fund, audited annually to ensure every penny is spent as promised. Accountability and transparency are central to how we manage your tax dollars.

Any time we talk about new taxes or fees, we recognize that these decisions directly affect our residents, businesses, and neighbors. We know every dollar matters—especially when family budgets are tight and the cost of living continues to rise.

However, the financial challenges facing our city are real and significant. The services our community relies on—public safety, streets, parks, and basic maintenance—require stable, sustainable funding. We have already reduced costs, delayed projects, and maximized the use of existing dollars. Without new revenue, we cannot sustain the level of service our community expects and deserves.

Public safety is our most essential service, and this measure helps ensure we are investing in the personnel and programs that keep Des Moines safe.

Learn more:

For more information about the City’s long-term fiscal situation, as well as the sales tax and other revenue options the City is considering, please see::

• Agenda Item: New Business #1 – September 11, 2025, Council Meeting
• Agenda Item: New Business #1 – September 25, 2025, Council Meeting

Charting Our Course:

Des Moines' Strategic Plan

I am inviting everyone in our community to be part of an important process the City is launching this month: the creation of a five-year strategic plan.

A strategic plan is like a map that captures our community’s shared vision and lays out the goals and priorities that will guide City decisions, investments, and services over the next five years.

We are calling the strategic planning process “Charting Our Course” because it will help us navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead, on the way to the future we envision together.

Built by the Community, for the Community

The strategic plan is not the City’s plan; it is the community’s plan. The most important voices in this process are yours. What you care about, what you want to see, and what you think Des Moines should become.

We are starting with listening. In the coming weeks, you will have multiple opportunities to share your ideas, hopes, and priorities:

• Community Focus Groups

We are holding several focus groups this month to hear voices from across our diverse community.

• Citywide Survey

We will be asking everyone in the community to complete a survey in November. We will get the link out in this newsletter, on our website, on Facebook and through community organizations.

• Pop-Up Input Sessions

Members of the Citizens Advisory Board will be hosting informal feedback sessions in community gathering places.

• Town Hall Meeting – December 9

Come together with neighbors and city leaders to talk about the future of Des Moines. Everyone is welcome.

What Happens Next

After gathering community input, the City Council and staff—working with an independent planning consultant—will build a framework of goals and strategies that reflect your priorities.

I am very excited about the course we will chart for Des Moines together!

Pier Clear Event at the

Des Moines Marina

The City of Des Moines partnered with Highline College’s MaST Center this past weekend for a unique environmental effort to protect Puget Sound marine life during the Marina dock replacement project. As part of the ongoing demolition and replacement of decades-old docks, the MaST Center hosted a “Pier Clear” event on Saturday, October 4, at M Dock. Divers carefully relocated marine species from the old dock structures to nearby safe habitats before demolition. Councilmember Matt Mahoney and MaST Center Director Rus Higley appeared on KING 5 News Saturday morning to highlight the project and underscore the City’s commitment to balancing progress with environmental stewardship. M Dock is scheduled to be decommissioned this week, with the new dock set to float in shortly afterward. The MaST Center plans an additional Pier Clear event when L Dock is ready to be removed.

Community Shredding Event - October 15

Clear out your personal documents safely! The City of Des Moines is hosting a free shredding event for all residents on Wednesday, October 15, at the Des Moines Activity Center.

Accepted items:

• Paper, receipts & bills
• File folders
• Envelopes
• Bank statements
• Cancelled checks

(Staples are okay!)

Not accepted:

• Cardboard
• Newspaper
• Boxes
• X-rays
• Plastic

This is a great opportunity to protect your personal information while decluttering. Stop by anytime during the event hours and safely shred your documents!

Zenith Properties, Former Masonic Home - Hearing Dates Set and Zoom Info Available

The City has issued a conditional demolition permit decision to Zenith Properties LLC, owner of the former Masonic Home property. This decision was based on the findings of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) conducted by an independent environmental consulting firm, which determined there was no feasible path to preservation of the structure. The appeal period closed on August 18, 2025, and as part of the legal process, a hearing has been scheduled for October 21 and 22, 2025, beginning at 9:00 a.m.



The hearing will be held via Zoom (link here; Meeting ID: 881 2882 7248; Passcode: 367554) and in person at Des Moines City Hall, 21630 11th Avenue S, Suite D. It is important to note that the approval of a demolition permit is just one step in a lengthy, regulated process, and actual demolition is not expected for several months, pending the outcome of the appeals process.

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City Council Meeting Recap

The following items were discussed as last night’s meeting: 


City Council Regular Meeting:

• 2025/2026 Mid-Biennium Budget Review
• Sixgill Shark Capital of the World Presentation
• Hemstad Consulting Contract
• Discussion on Potential Management Agreement and Licensing between the City of Des Moines and NWS Holdings (Perfect Game) for Steven J. Underwood Fields
• Public Safety Sales Tax, Second Reading
• OpenGov Asset Management Software Purchase
• Telecommunications Franchise Agreement with Forged Fiber 37, LLC, First Reading 

For more information, or to review packet information for October 10 , 2025, click here.

Our next meeting is October 23, 2025.