I do not support and will be voting No on the $150 million Bond Measure for the Police/Public Works “campus.”
Sure, Tigard Police and Public Works need new homes. However, the siting and the cost are the issues.
Unlike neighboring communities. Tigard’s tax base is comprised primarily of residential properties. Removing valuable commercial/industrial acreage from the tax rolls for government use is ill-advised. I recall when (2018ish) the proposed site on Hunziker was touted as an economic and job-creating engine. The groundbreaking was attended by a legislative delegation. For the City to purchase it for a government building is a waste of taxpayer money.
Further, the proposed site is even farther from the fastest-growing sector of Tigard: River Terrace. In no way will that result in faster response times. Better to invest in smaller Police facilities rather than a sprawling campus within Tigard. In an era of remote work,what alternatives and technology initiatives have been advanced to address the need for facilities? Aren’t facilities moving away from brick-and-mortar design? Why the need to co-locate facilities? How much has the City already spent on architects/project managers and marketing? It seems like we have already been inundated with ads in Tigard Life and mailers in our utility bills.
We all know that the additional cost of $22 per month in property taxes is a misnomer. It is just a way to trick us into thinking it is just a little bit more money each year to serve the police and public works departments. Harken the outcry on Nextdoor when voters got their property tax bills after they voted in all the requests for additional school and special district funding. With the rising costs of groceries, utilities and health care, we do not need to fund a city campus.
Tigard is banking on low voter turnout at the May election to pass this Bond Measure by a simple majority. Tigard needs to rethink this proposal and come up with a different plan to meet the space needs of the police and public works departments. Express your concerns in their public opinion survey and vote NO on this Measure.
THE PROPOSED MEASURE WILL NOT IMPROVE SAFETY. Police will still respond, even with no increase in square footage.
THE PROPOSED MEASURE WILL NOT IMPROVE SERVICE. Public works will still maintain streets, parks, and sewer and water systems, using existing structures.
THE PROPOSED SITE WILL INCREASE YOUR PROPERTY TAXES. An additional $264 per year for 30 years for a bond that is not needed and is just for construction, not maintenance. Property taxes in Tigard have already increased last year by an average of 9% from TTSD, Washington County public safety and TVF&R.
A BETTER TIGARD IS NOT A BIGGER TIGARD.
