The Choice Before Snoqualmie: City Budget Input Survey

What service levels should Snoqualmie provide?

The City is considering its 2027–2028 budget. We want to understand what services residents expect and how those expectations fit with what households can afford.

Your responses will help the City Council decide on service levels and funding.

You do not need to read the full budget document to participate. However, we encourage you to review the City’s flyer and attend a Community Budget presentation to learn more about the service choices and costs. The full proposed budget is also available if you would like more detail.

1.Your connection to Snoqualmie
Do you currently live within Snoqualmie city limits?(Required.)

Yes

Not sure

What service levels do you want?
You can choose the proposed service level, a higher service level where there is an additional request, or a lower service level to reduce the cost.

Each section describes the proposed services. Select the answer you prefer, considering both the services and their cost using the information in the flyer and presentation. Where a higher level is offered, the answer describes the additional service. If you need more information to choose, select that answer.

2.Law Enforcement
Proposed services
Police respond to every call, including non-emergency concerns. The proposal maintains three officers assigned per shift, with at least two on patrol, and supports investigations and school safety. Additional civilian records and evidence support helps keep officers focused on police duties. Body-worn cameras document encounters.

Patrol officers enforce traffic laws alongside calls, investigations, and other responsibilities.

Which service level do you prefer? Select one.

Proposed: Provide the services described above, with traffic enforcement handled by patrol officers alongside their other duties.

Higher: Provide the proposed services and add the Interim Police Chief’s requested dedicated traffic enforcement officer to increase attention to speeding and other traffic violations.

Lower: Reduce police service below the proposal to lower the cost, accepting less capacity for calls, investigations, or traffic enforcement.

Need more information: I need more information about the services or costs.

Optional: What police or traffic concern most affects your answer? If you chose a lower level, what service would you reduce?

3.Fire and Emergency Management
Proposed services
The proposal maintains around-the-clock fire, medical, and rescue response, including staffing to support two medical calls at once. It funds crew training, response reporting, and breathing equipment.

Services also include fire inspections, CPR classes, public education, and disaster planning. The proposal restores full-time administrative support for these activities, records, and the volunteer program.

Which service level do you prefer? Select one.

Proposed: Provide the emergency response, prevention, and preparedness services described above.

Lower: Reduce service below the proposal to lower the cost, accepting reduced response capacity or less prevention and preparedness work.

Need more information: I need more information about the services or costs.

Optional: Which fire, emergency medical, or preparedness service matters most to you? If you chose a lower level, what service would you reduce?

4.Parks and Streets Maintenance
Proposed services
The City maintains 42 parks and 14 miles of trails. Work includes mowing, ballfield preparation and maintenance, restroom upkeep, playground repairs, trash collection, and splash-pad operations.

The same team maintains 48 lane-miles of roads and 43 miles of sidewalks. Services include street and sidewalk maintenance, visible signs and markings, traffic signals, lighting, street sweeping, and snow removal.

Over recent years, aging infrastructure, added facilities, and community events have increased daily operating demands, leaving some required maintenance unfinished. The splash pad added in 2025 alone requires about one-third of an employee’s annual available work time, with no staff added when it opened.

The proposal adds one maintenance technician, bringing the team from seven to eight, to help meet operating demands and restore scheduled upkeep and repairs.

Which service level do you prefer? Select one.

Proposed: Provide the services described above with an eight-person team.

Higher: Provide the director’s requested higher service level by adding a second additional maintenance technician, bringing the team to nine, plus seasonal help for parks, trails, streets, and sidewalks, while reducing reliance on contracted parks work.

Lower: Provide less operations and maintenance capacity than proposed to lower the cost, accepting less scheduled upkeep or longer waits for maintenance and repairs.

Need more information: I need more information about the services or costs.

Optional:
Which park or trail maintenance work should
receive attention first, or could wait longer?

Which street or sidewalk maintenance work should receive attention first, or could wait longer?

5.Community and Economic Development
Proposed services
The proposal supports participation in growth, housing, and regional decisions that affect Snoqualmie’s future, required planning, updates to City rules, and attention to property-code concerns. It also supports timely permit review and inspections and adds an Assistant Planner to increase capacity for these responsibilities.

The department helps local businesses stay and grow, attracts new businesses, supports tourism, and seeks grants for local priorities. It maintains community events and assesses human-service needs, funds services through community organizations, and coordinates their efforts.

Which service level do you prefer? Select one.

Proposed: Provide the planning, permitting, code enforcement, business, and community services described above.

Higher: Provide the proposed services and the director’s requested consultant assistance to complete the City’s climate-planning requirements, plus additional community events supporting tourism and local businesses through a $25,000 increase in event funding.

Lower: Reduce service below the proposal to lower the cost, accepting less capacity for planning and property-code concerns or reduced business and community services.

Need more information: I need more information about the services or costs.

Optional:
Which planning, permitting, or code enforcement responsibility matters most to you, or could receive less attention?

Which business, event, or human service matters most to you, or could receive less attention?

6.Finance
Proposed services
Finance is responsible for correct resident billing, timely vendor payments, and collecting money owed to the City. It provides financial reports, budget reviews, and forecasts to identify problems early, oversees purchasing and contracts, and works to complete the City’s financial system.

The proposal adds four positions, bringing Finance from nine to thirteen, primarily to strengthen budget analysis, financial operations, purchasing, and contracts.

Which service level do you prefer? Select one.

Proposed: Provide the proposed Finance capacity described above.

Higher: Provide the Finance Director’s requested additional accounting management and collections capacity to address remaining needs in accounting oversight, billing, and collection of money owed to the City.

Lower: Provide less Finance capacity than proposed to lower the cost, accepting less budget monitoring or slower progress on financial reporting, contracts, and financial-system work.

Need more information: I need more information about the services or costs.

Optional: Which financial improvement matters most to you? If you chose a lower level, what work would you reduce or delay?

7.Operational Support and City Leadership
Proposed services
These services include employee hiring and support, reliable technology and cybersecurity, legal review and representation, and maintenance of City buildings.

They also include City leadership, public records, clear City information, opportunities for residents to participate, and meeting agendas.
The proposal adds legal capacity, restores full-time Deputy Clerk and executive support, and funds building upkeep to address deferred maintenance and prevent more costly repairs.

Which service level do you prefer? Select one.

Proposed: Provide the support and administration services described above.

Higher: Provide the proposed services and more legal work in-house by adding the City Attorney’s requested second Assistant City Attorney and legal intern, with the staffing cost offset by lower spending on outside counsel.

Lower: Reduce service below the proposal to lower the cost, accepting less capacity for legal work, public access, administrative follow-through, or building upkeep.

Need more information: I need more information about the services or costs.

Optional: Which service matters most to you? If you chose a lower level, what work would you reduce or delay?

8.Your priorities and tradeoffs
Which additional service or capacity, if any, would you most want the City to provide? Select one.

Dedicated traffic enforcement

More parks and streets operations and maintenance through a second additional technician and seasonal help

Climate-planning consultant assistance and additional community events

Additional Finance accounting management and collections capacity

More legal work in-house through a second Assistant City Attorney and a legal intern, offset by lower outside-counsel spending

None. I would retain the proposed service levels without these additions.

I need more information.

9.What specific service or work, if any, would you reduce or delay to lower the cost?

10.Considering the household cost described in the flyer and presentation, which statement comes closest to your view? Select one.

I would consider paying more than the proposed amount for additional services that require more funding.

I would support paying the proposed amount for the proposed service levels.

I would prefer a smaller increase and accept specific service reductions.

I need more information about the costs or service consequences.

11.What most influenced your answer about cost?

12.Information you reviewed
Which materials have you seen? Select all that apply.

The City’s service-level flyer (Utility bill insert)

A Community Budget presentation, in person or recorded

The proposed budget or portions of it

None of these

13.How do you prefer to hear about the City Budget? Select all that apply.

Other (please specify)

14.Anything we missed?
Is there a service that currently falls short of your expectations? Please describe what you experience and what you would want to change.

15.What else should the City Council understand before deciding on service levels and funding?

Thank you for helping the City understand your expectations.

16.Optional information

Name