To: Mayor Rosen and Edmonds' Council Members

59% of voters rejected Prop 1's $14.5M tax levy lift and are demanding 'good governance' reform which includes fiscal discipline, accountability, transparency, performance metrics, common sense, and putting taxpayers first. You have taken no action to address much needed good governance reform. You have refused to answer over 40 open questions that residents have about the 2025 and 2026 budget, the lack of proper due diligence to expose the last 5 years of wasted spending, and the opportunity to balance the budget using selected fund transfers, and additional cuts in spending as Jim Ogonowski had recommended in his alternative budget. To add insult to injury, you have recently asked the City lawyer to draft an ordinance supporting a $4 million tax increase in utility taxes - that will require no public hearing and no voter approval - and will likely increase the 'average' taxpayer's utility tax by $12 to $20 per month.

This Petition lists eight points of good governance reform that we demand you undertake immediately, including stopping any attempt to unilaterally raise utility taxes. These points outline the actions required to confirm your commitment to reform City governance and deliver taxpayer-driven, zero-based and priority-based spending cuts, and non-tax revenue initiatives that will be sustainable and will make Edmonds more affordable for all citizens. CM Dotsch and Chen recently submitted an ‘Opinion Piece” to My Edmonds News and suggested several good ideas that would help usher in good governance reform to the Council and offer more reasonable solutions to achieve long-term financial sustainability through a combination of short-term bridge funding and disciplined cost management and oversight. Their recommendations are all valid starting points, but are not sufficient to satisfy the majority of residents who voted against Prop 1.

Residents are demanding more change, more commitments, and more deliverables from the Council before trust can be restored or before another tax levy lift can be considered:

1. Embrace 'good governance' reform – – and show proof of reform results
2. Do not pursue resolutions or ordinances for new tax levy lifts or utility tax increases in 2025 or 2026.
3. Implement the Blue Ribbon Panel financial recommendations that include increased transparency, zero-based and priority-based budgeting, fiscal discipline, and measurement/management focus on staff performance metrics.
4. Implement a new “Citizen Finance Advisory Committee” (not a Council committee) that has power (unlike the ignored Blue Ribbon Panel), that is comprised of experienced business/financial professional volunteers from the KeepEdmondsAffordable concerned citizens’ group, that has no paid consultants, and that has the authority to scope, review, and recommend financial analysis, budgets and program priorities.
5. Undertake public vetting and proper due diligence on Jim Ogonowski’s alternative budget plan that utilizes internal funds to finance the 2026 budget without compromising essential services. https://www.keepedmondsaffordable.com/stay-informed?lightbox=dataItem-mh56q1f8 Due diligence includes budget cuts to eliminate excess staff and program expansion since 2022.
6. Answer in writing the taxpayers' 40+ open questions on the 2026 budget to demonstrate full 360* transparency.
7. Terminate all PR efforts that spin a web of fear, deceit, and doubt about not having enough money for police protection and not enough money to maintain parks or keep Frances Anderson Center and Yost pool open – and instead adopt a public ‘can do’ attitude that analyzes all alternatives and priorities, and utilizes reorgs, temporary staffing, and reasonable fee-based programs to support the highest priority services.
8. Terminate the ineffective and cumbersome 2-year budget cycle, and immediately revert to a 1-year budget cycle.

With the exception of CM Chen and Dotsch, you have failed to comprehend the breadth and depth of taxpayer rejection of Prop 1 and concern about the Council’s lack of focus on spending control. Instead, you have suggested that the 2026 revenues could be increased by $4 million with a utility tax increase – which would effectively be a tax levy lift that was not approved by taxpayers. Instead of rebuilding trust, you have opened a wider credibility gap and demonstrated further rejection of good governance principles.

We demand that you implement further reductions in the 2026 budget and disclose detailed financial data showing how expenses have exceeded revenues in the past 5 years. The 2026 budget is already inflated due to the fact that since 2022, staff wages/benefits increased by almost 40% and police spending increased by 61%. You must correct the situation where Edmonds residents pay 40% more for police services compared with residents of Shoreline or Esperance. You must ensure that the millions of dollars wasted in legal disputes, failed waste water treatment technology, employee terminations, property owner disputes, failed development projects, do not happen in the future.

The only way you can begin to earn back trust from taxpayers is to commit to these eight taxpayer demands and immediately form a Citizens’ Finance Advisory Committee, comprised of KeepEdmondsAffordable volunteer professionals, and commission them to outline the agendas for future budget workshops, and participate in those workshops to assure that you have a taxpayer-centric focus on reforming good governance, building sustainable budgets, getting control of excess spending, and introducing innovative non-tax revenues. This is a team effort, and you have a team of volunteer professionals who are willing to work with you to ensure that Edmonds is affordable to all residents. It's up to you to rebuild trust in the community.

Sincerely,

Residents and fans of Edmonds who want to keep the City affordable