Cashmere officials make case for public safety levy ahead of July hearing

CASHMERE — As city officials prepare to ask voters to consider a property tax levy increase later this year, Mayor Jim Fletcher says the proposal is less about expanding government services and more about preserving the public safety services residents already expect.

During a June 22 City Council meeting, Fletcher outlined what he described as "quick and dirty" talking points that will form the basis of the city's public outreach campaign ahead of a July public hearing on the proposal.

The message, Fletcher said, is intentionally simple: public safety.

The levy discussion centers on funding for law enforcement, fire protection and jail services, which are all areas where city costs — like the costs for every municipality in the region — have continued to rise while property tax revenues have remained constrained under Washington state's property tax system.

According to figures presented by Fletcher, Cashmere has averaged approximately $7,500 in additional annual property tax revenue over the past three years. During the same period, law enforcement costs increased by roughly $36,000 per year on average.

At the same time, demand for emergency services has grown significantly.

Fletcher said calls for service within the city handled by the Cashmere Fire Department increased from 296 in 2022 to 475 in 2025, a 60% increase. That’s with a department that’s already all-volunteer, meaning that cost increases associated with that spike in service calls are about equipment costs and basic station maintenance, not exorbitant salaries.

To counter concerns that the city has not controlled spending, Fletcher pointed to reductions in the city's workforce over the past several years.

Between 2020 and 2025, total city payroll declined by approximately 12%, representing about $163,000 less in salary expenditures, according to figures presented during the meeting. That doesn’t mean people are being paid less, only that they’re being paid about the same as they were 5 years ago, but with a much leaner staff.

"We can demonstrate… we have been every year paying attention to what's going on," Fletcher said. "We're finally at the point where with public safety, it's necessary [to address] with taxes."

The city plans to rely on community meetings, mailers and direct conversations with residents to explain the proposal before it reaches voters.

A public hearing on the levy proposal has been scheduled for July 13. City officials indicated a final decision on whether to place the measure on the November ballot will likely not happen that night, but does need to occur by the end of July to meet election deadlines.

While details of the proposal could still change, Fletcher said the city's objective is to keep the discussion focused on maintaining core services rather than expanding programs.

"We're trying to keep the whole thing simple," Fletcher told council members. "Focusing on public safety is our message."

But while Fletcher plans on delivering a message that the city hopes will be enough to convince residents that a means of increasing revenue is necessary, it’s clear from comments from residents on social media that there is a very real gap in understanding just how little the city is working with already.

As recently as June 23, one post from a local Cashmere Facebook group posed the question, why doesn’t the city consider a splash pad?

That’s a reasonable wish: everyone wants to beat the heat, and activities like that can be fun for kids. But when Cashmere doesn’t even have enough to adequately fund public safety, due to simply not wanting to burden voters with a tax increase in decades, wishes like that aren’t likely to get fulfilled.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media