Updated July 1, 2024

On June 11, 2024, the Independence City Council adopted the city’s budget, which includes a new public safety fee aimed at enhancing local law enforcement services and ensuring long-term community safety.

Starting in January 2025, the fee will be set at $20 per month for the first six months, before adjusting to $17 per month in July 2025. By July 2026, the fee will decrease further to $10 per month and will be indexed annually each December to reflect inflation in the CPI-West Region.

This dedicated funding source will generate approximately $1.06 million annually for the Independence Police Department, enabling the city to stabilize its public safety budget and increase staffing levels over time.

With this investment, Independence is prioritizing a safer, more secure community for all residents, ensuring that our police department is equipped to serve and protect both now and in the future.

To reduce the spread of misinformation, the city has provided this Frequently Asked Questions page that addresses inquiries related to the proposed public safety fee. This page will be updated if/when more questions arise.

Currently, no. The city will place an Arts and Culture Operating Levy on the ballot(s) in 2024-25 to support the Independence Public Library, the Independence Heritage Museum, and city parks. If passed, this will generate $1.065 million per year and translates to a rate of $1.82/$1,000 assessed value or about $548 per year on a home valued at $300,000. If this levy fails, the city will begin to close those departments that would have been funded by the levy.

The budgeted costs of operations for the museum, parks, library, and police department for the 2024-25 fiscal year are as follows:

  • Museum – $210,162.
  • Parks – $384,247
  • Library – $559,112
  • Police – $3,796,057

The city’s General Fund is expected to collect $2.7 million in property taxes in 2024-25. These limited funds support the museum, parks, library, and police.

The national average for police staffing is typically used as a benchmark for assessing police coverage and is currently 2.4, stated as the number of sworn officers per 1,000 population. The city of Independence currently has 15 full-time sworn officers, including the Chief. Adding 7 more sworn officers would allow Independence to near the national average for a city population of 10,000.

The proposed public safety fee is meant to provide the funding to bring the Police Department near the national average over the course of 4-5 years by funding the $1.06 million annual cost of 7 additional officers (salaries, benefits, equipment, supplies, etc.).

No. If a public safety fee is put in place, it will ONLY be included on the city’s utility billing as a means of collection.

The amount of the public safety fee has not yet been set. The amended city budget approved by the budget committee included direction for staff to find a way to potentially reduce the proposed public safety fee. Therefore, the amount of the fee is still under review and will be discussed at the June 11, 2024, city council meeting. If a public safety fee is part of the adopted budget, it will be placed on the monthly city utility bills beginning in January 2025.

Currently, if adopted, city staff anticipate the public safety fee to be added to city utility bills beginning in January 2025.

City staff are currently meeting and identifying options to reduce costs of service in the General Fund specifically as well as identifying potential alternative revenue sources as a means to provide for long-term stability of the General Fund. The timing and implementation of the public safety fee, including phasing in the fee, is currently being discussed to mitigate the impacts of that fee on resident rate payers.

The city council will review and further discuss the city budget at their June 11, 2024 meeting, with an additional opportunity for public testimony.