Letter to the Editor: Why I am voting Yes on LFP Prop 1

To the Editor:

The city of Lake Forest Park is facing severe budget challenges. Our draft budget for 2027-2028 has a $4.5 million deficit. Much of that is structural. The costs of providing these services are drastically outpacing the 1% annual increase in property tax that the city is allowed to take. Much of this increase comes from public safety costs in addition to the police department, including 911 dispatch, jail, prosecutor, public defender, and crisis response services.

I’m proud of our police department and I’m confident that many of you feel the same way. They have maintained a focus on community-policing and our response times are significantly better than in other communities.

But I really want to focus on RCR, the Regional Crisis Response agency. RCR was founded in 2023 as a collaboration between LFP, Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, and Shoreline. The RCR team consists of trained mental health professionals who can respond to emergency calls alongside police or on their own. They provide critical responses to residents in crisis, including situations where the presence of police officers may inadvertently cause an escalation. These crisis responders are a core part of our region’s emergency response alongside Police, Fire, Ambulance, and the Connections Crisis Response Center. In 2025, RCR served approximately 300 encounters in Lake Forest Park. Prop 1 will ensure that the city can continue to access this valuable resource.

For an average Lake Forest Park home ($963,000), the levy will cost less than $18 per month. Low-income seniors and disabled veterans will be exempt from this levy. This is a reasonable amount to pay to ensure that the city can continue to afford all aspects of public safety, including police, crisis response and everything in between. Please vote YES on Prop 1!

Larry Goldman

Lake Forest Park

Larry Goldman serves as a member of the Lake Forest Park City Council and is writing as an individual.