Des Moines’ Enhanced Public Safety Committee encouraged voters again last week to support and vote yes on the city’s proposed property tax levy lid lift on May 16.

If approved, funds raised by the levy lid lift would be used exclusively to help the police department restore staff to 1999 levels.

The committee emphasized in a campaign statement that levy funds “cannot be used in any other city department and will be audited by the Washington State Auditor’s Office for compliance.

“Because of state tax-cutting initiatives, significant decreases in revenues over the past several years have sharply reduced the number of police officers on the street in Des Moines.

“Serious crimes have increased 42 percent and 911 emergency calls for service have increased by 20 percent during the past five years, while police department staffing has decreased by over 20 percent during the same time period.

Police Chief Roger Baker added, “We need to restore the police personnel that have been cut from the police department if we expect to adequately respond to emergency calls for service and address the increasing crime rate problem in our community.”

If the levy lid lift is approved, the property tax levy rate in Des Moines for 2007 would go from $1.16 to $1.60 per $1,000 assessed valuation -- about 30 cents a day for a $250,000 home.

“The committee feels strongly with the passage of this levy that the full implementation of the Police Department’s five-year strategic plan can be fully realized,” their statement added.

“It will provide the essential resources necessary for the city to grow and provide the level of safety our community citizen’s demand.”

The Enhanced Public Safety Committee, a group of citizen volunteers from the Mayors’ Leadership Summit, includes Florence McMullin, Gary Bollinger, Jim Heath, Judy Mannard, Mike Adams, Sherry Rosenlund, Tara Jo Heinecke, Jim Chastain, Madge Hanson and Wayne Corey.