A: The original Public Safety Levy was passed by voters in May 2020. The 2020 local option levy was a five-year levy. In May 2024,Tigard voters will have an opportunity consider a measure, which if passed, would renew this existing levy.

A: The Public Safety Levy provided funding for 8 additional patrol officers, which allowed an increase in minimum patrol staffing for the first time in over 25 years. If passed, the proposed renewal would continue these investments, including:

• Retaining 8 patrol officers to respond to increased calls for service, multiple emergencies at the same time, and community patrols.
• Maintaining 1 existing school resource officer to enhance student safety.
• Continuing training for all sworn officers in advanced crisis intervention and de-escalation to address increased mental health crises.

These additional staffing resources make it possible to meet minimum staffing requirements across three daily patrol shifts.

Before the levy passed in 2020, minimum staffing levels for patrol had not increased in Tigard since 1995 even though the population has increased by over 19,000 people. Even with the levy, there are times when there are only 3 patrol officers on duty across the entire city.

In 2022, we saw 1,000 more calls for service over 2021. Many of these are increasingly complex, requiring several officers to spend significant time resolving the issue.

A:  The proposed renewal levy would not increase taxes, but would continue the current rate of $0.29 per $1,000 of assessed property value. We estimate that the average Tigard property owner ($318,440 assessed value or $542,750 market value) would pay about $92 per year based on recent Washington County tax information.

To learn exactly what you would pay, please visit our Levy Calculator to search specific tax lots.

A: No, the proposed renewal levy would not increase taxes. If the renewal passes, Tigard property owners would continue the same rate that’s already in place and that was approved by voters in 2020 – which is $0.29 per $1,000 assessed property value. For the average homeowner, that's about $92 per year based on an assessed value of $318,440 (or $542,750 market value).

(Please note, this allocation is as of 2020. An updated version will be available soon.)

Tigard’s population growth has stretched the Tigard Police Department. Prior to the original levy passing in 2020, Tigard Police had not increased its minimum patrol staffing since 1995.

Tigard police calls continue to grow. In 2022, the Tigard Police Department saw 1,000 more calls for service over 2021. Many of these are increasingly complex calls, requiring several officers to spend significant time resolving the issue. 

At any given time, even with the levy, there are only 3-5 patrol officers on duty in Tigard.

In 2019, an independent expert recommended that Tigard add eight police officers and one School Resource Officer to "right size" the Tigard Police Department to match similarly-sized cities around us with similar police calls for service. Since then, the City of Tigard's population has only continued to grow.

Like police departments around our region, the Tigard Police Department is facing staffing challenges due to retirements and other kinds of attrition, challenges in hiring new officers and fewer candidates applying for openings.

A: In 2019, an independent auditor conducted a performance audit of City operations. That auditor recommended the City hire 8 additional patrol officers and 1 school resource officer to address service demands and comply with policing best practices. This report was used to help form the original levy ask in 2020.

Read the Performance Audit Findings here.