LakewoodLyre exclusive; “One-Tenth”

LakewoodLyre; "Ordinance enacting an additional sales and use tax of one-tenth of one percent, as authorized in section 201, Chapter 350, Laws of Washington 2025, for criminal justice purposes; creating a new section to Lakewood Municipal Code, Title 3 Revenue and Finance, Chapter 3.90 One-Tenth of One Percent Public Safety Sales Tax..."

I'd like to get a little background on the approach, concerns, and vote balance of this Council action.

This now places Lkw at 10.2%?  10.3%?  What day would it be effective?

“Councilmember Lindholm forwarded me your questions regarding the one tenth of one percent sales tax that was approved Monday night on a 4-3 vote.

This topic has had four separate meeting dates: 6/9/25, 9/15/25, 3/9/26, and 4/6/26. (I have included the agenda materials for each of those meetings.

The sales tax will be used to cover public defense costs for indigent defense. The City is facing an unfunded mandate to comply with new requirements for decreasing caseloads per attorney, ultimately requiring additional attorneys to cover the public defense requirements. It is anticipated that the City of Lakewood will have to add a public defense attorney in each of the next 10 years to comply with the compliance schedule (please see the table on the 4/6/26 agenda item).

As identified in the 4/6/26 memo, current revenue sources do not support the increased staffing requirements. In the absence of additional revenue sources, it is anticipated that there would be reductions in projects and/or service delivery levels.

The sales tax will be effective 7/1/26 and will lead to a cumulative tax rate of 10.3% (assuming Pierce County’s increase is effective as well).

Here is a link to the video of the meeting which had considerable discussion and deliberation of the issue, ultimately leading to a vote in favor of implementing the sales tax (beginning at 1 hour and 44 minutes into the meeting): City Council Meeting of April 6, 2026”

Doug Russell
City Manager
City of Lakewood