42° and Clear
Letter to the Editor by Richard Saunders:
I've called Lake Forest Park home since 1966, when my family moved to
Hamlin Road. I was two years old. McCleer Creek flowed through our
backyard, and my three brothers and I and our friends spent our
childhood roaming the woods, fishing, exploring—always outdoors, always
safe.
Our parents were comfortable letting us wander from neighbor to
neighbor, yellow labs in tow, crossing through backyards and over
streams. On Saturday nights, our dinner table regularly hosted two to
five extra neighborhood kids. My Mom and Dad created such a welcoming
environment. Those were wonderful times.
Lake Forest Park has grown and evolved as part of the broader Puget
Sound region. We're in a designated growth area under Washington state
planning, which means more density, more traffic, and increased demands
on services. But through all these regional changes, the core things
that mattered then still matter now: the sense of community, the natural
environment, and the feeling of safety.
I spent ten years on the LFP Planning Commission, learning how local
government works, getting to know the dedicated public servants and
elected officials who serve our city. It gave me deep appreciation for
the scrutiny democracy requires—and the deliberateness that can look
like inefficiency but is actually thoughtful and required governance.
I'll be honest: I haven't voted yes on every property tax initiative
that's come before us. In those cases, I saw a need but the city didn't
clearly articulate what we were being asked to fund or what we'd lose
without it. The trade-offs weren't clear. This time is different.
With federal support for local municipalities becoming less
predictable, I feel a strong pull to protect what matters most: my
family and our community, right here. The $700,000 annual gap between
what public safety costs and what the city can raise isn't
theoretical—it's real, documented, and currently being covered by
draining reserves.
Prop 1 maintains the police department and emergency services that
give us that sense of safety I grew up with. It protects our financial
strength by stopping the drain on reserves we're using now to cover
these costs. It's legally restricted to public safety, raises a fixed
$1.2 million annually (not tied to individual property value increases),
and sunsets after six years.
After nearly 60 years here, I'm voting YES on Prop 1. I hope you'll join me.
For more information provided by folks in the community I have been working with, please see: YesOnLFPProp1.com
Sincerely,
Your LFP Neighbor,
Richard Saunders
Lake Forest Park
