Puyallup District 1 Survey on Candidates & Tax Increases

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* 1. For your responses to count in this poll, please type your name and voting address so we can cross reference with the county's voter registration list for Puyallup's District 1. Your responses will be kept 100% private.

Jim Kastama lead the effort to increase city property taxes by 6% in a procedural maneuver called “banking” from years when past councils did not raise taxes, resulting in an increase of our city portion of property taxes from $1.00 per $1,000 house value in 2024, to $1.08 per $1,000 in 2025. He also proposed and voted to increase taxes on our electricity and gas bills from 4.2% to 6%, and well as increase Xfinity/Comcast fees from 3.4% to 5%. He also voted to cut 7 staff positions including one from the senior center causing the end of Activity Center Rentals to the public, two library positions resulting in the end of external library projects like school collaborations, and four other positions including the elimination of the city’s Economic Development Manager. These tax increases and cuts to staff unrelated to the police department were part of a proposal to renovate and rent a building on South Hill for a new police station. Adding up itemized costs on the city website, the project over 30 years is projected to be $73.5 million for Puyallup taxpayers. In comparison, the 2023 bond measure to build a police station and jail on land we still own (and rejected by 56.37% of District 1 voters, with 52.51% voting “no” citywide) would have cost approximately $44 million for the police station (specifically, a projected $35 million for the police station, plus a projected $9 million in shared groundbreaking costs with a jail if they had added that for another projected $31 million). In addition, Jim Kastama approved the city to send out a Request for Qualification (RFQ) proposal last month to renovate our current city jail at an unknown cost, despite maintaining throughout the 2021-23 campaigns that the old jail was not feasible to renovate.

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* 2. Do you agree with all, some, or none of Jim Kastama's tax increases and staffing cuts for a rented police station, and more to come for jail renovations?

I agree with ALL of Jim Kastama's tax increases and staffing cuts for rented police station, plus more to come for jail renovations.

I agree with SOME of Jim Kastama's tax increases and staffing cuts for rented police station, plus more to come for jail renovations.

I agree with NONE of Jim Kastama's tax increases and staffing cuts for rented police station, plus more to come for jail renovations.

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* 3. If you would like to have us include reasons for your opinion about Kastama's tax increases and staffing cuts when we post our next Tuesday survey update, please describe the things you agree with, and what you disagree with. All responses will remain anonymous.

Last year, Jim Kastama directed city council to circumvent state restrictions on sales tax increases by voting to create a new Transportation Tax District without its own elected commissioners, and instead made city council the de-facto commissioners, then increased sales taxes from 10.1% to 10.2% in the City of Puyallup.

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* 4. Do you agree with all, some, or none of Jim Kastama's actions creating the new tax district without voter approval, that city council should control decisions of the tax district, and that he imposed a .1% sales tax increase within city limits?

I agree with ALL of Kastama’s actions regarding the new transportation tax district.

I agree with SOME of Kastama’s actions regarding the new transportation tax district.

I agree with NONE of Kastama’s actions regarding the new transportation tax district.

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* 5. If you would like to have us include reasons for your opinion about Kastama's creation of the Transportation Tax District when we post our next Tuesday survey update, please describe what you agree with, and the aspects you disagree with. All responses will remain anonymous.

Jim Kastama increased city utility fees, and changed the frequency of when we city residents have to pay, from every-other-month, to every month, with water rates raised 7.5% from 2024, sewer rates up 5.5%, and the stormwater rate up 16.5% according to footnote on our January and February utility bills. Kastama says on his facebook page that he directed the city to use $600,000 in sewer and stormwater fees for a $5 million project to rebuild one block of 9th Ave SW into a “festival street” for the fair this year, just 4 years after that same block was completely rebuilt under his watch, wasting the $2 million he spent from our general street fund at that time.

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* 6. Do you agree with all, some, or none of the utility fee increases, expenditures, and bill frequency decisions Jim Kastama made over the last 2 years while he took his turn as mayor?

I agree with ALL of Kastama's utility fee increases, billing frequency changes, and expenditures to redo the 100 block of 9th Ave SW twice.

I agree with SOME of Kastama's utility fee increases, billing frequency changes, and expenditures to redo the 100 block of 9th Ave SW twice.

I agree with NONE of Kastama's utility fee increases, billing frequency changes, and expenditures to redo the 100 block of 9th Ave SW twice.

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* 7. If you would like to have us include reasons for your opinion about Kastama's utility fee increases, billing frequency changes, and festival street expenditures when we post our next Tuesday survey update, please describe the aspects you agree with, and what you disagree with. All responses will remain anonymous.

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* 8. Jeff Bennett, a retired Puyallup Police Officer in a second career bidding projects in the solar industry, is running to replace Jim Kastama as District 1 council representative. His website lists Fiscal Responsibility as his top issue, and includes blog posts criticizing the incumbent for the festival street expense, cuts to Senior Center parking and staff, and other topics. Please select if you prefer Kastama, Bennett, or neither of the candidates running for Puyallup City Council representing District 1.

I prefer Jim Kastama for Puyallup City Council District 1.

I prefer Jeff Bennett for Puyallup City Council District 1.

I prefer neither candidate for Puyallup City Council District 1.

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* 9. If you would like to have us anonymously include the reasons for your candidate preference in our next Tuesday survey update, please share:

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* 10. Please include your contact information if you would like to receive final survey results, and stay informed of future Puyallup Voters for Integrity projects: