FAQs

We recommend you wear a helmet but users must supply their own. Learn about helmet laws here.
 

Electric assist bikes still require users to pedal, but have a small battery-powered motor that helps a wider range of users travel by bike, especially up hills.

The same rules apply as with personal bicycles; please do not ride these electric-assist bikes on Town Center sidewalks.

You may park your boat and/or trailer on your own property. There are also various regional storage facilities such as outdoor parked storage, dry stacked storage, or indoor warehouse storage.

The total number of authorized employees, including contract staff, has increased from 189 in 2009 to 208 in 2018.  That represents an increase of 19 employees, or 9.9%.  By comparison, the City’s population is projected to increase 10% from 2009 to 2018. Below is a breakdown by department of regular employees (FTEs) and contract employees for 2009-2018.

Comparing 2018 to 2009, noteworthy staffing increases and decreases in each department are identified in the table below, ignoring the following:  1) restored positions that were cut during the Great Recession; and 2) conversions of contract to regular employees.

After cutting 12.4 positions in the 2011-2012 budget, the City balanced its 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018 budgets through a combination of the following Council actions and favorable market conditions:

• The high level of development activity on the Island in 2013-2016 generated significant spikes in construction-related sales tax and development fees and added 1.4% per year, on average, in additional property tax revenue from “new construction” in 2014-2018
• The Council significantly increased the cost-recovery target levels on development services in 2014 and again in 2016, resulting in development fee increases
• A new utility tax on the City’s water, sewer, and storm water utilities was instituted beginning in 2013 (3.9%) and increased in 2014 (5.3%)
• The Council approved a 1% property tax levy increase in 2013-2018
• One-time surplus revenues (from the high level of development activity) and department expenditure savings were used to balance the 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018 budgets 
• Annual inflation was only 1.8%, on average, in 2013-2017, keeping salary and wage growth low in those years
• Annual medical insurance premium growth was only 3.5%, on average, in 2013-2017

As home values rise, people often assume their property taxes automatically go up too.  In fact, that's not the case:  Washington is one of just two states where property taxes are levy-based, rather than rate-based.  That means rising property values on Mercer Island don't translate to higher revenues for your City government or any other taxing jurisdiction.

In a rate-based system, used by the other 48 states, a tax rate is typically expressed in dollars per $1,000 of assessed property value (AV).  For example, if the rate is $1.00 per $1,000 AV, then the owner of a $1.0 million home pays $1,000.  The total amount collected fluctuates year to year as property values rise or fall.  Under Washington's levy-based system, state law only allows a taxing district to collect a specified total dollar amount (the "levy") each year, the annual growth of which is capped at 1% plus an allowance for “new construction.”  If the total assessed value of all property within a jurisdiction goes up, then that jurisdiction’s levy rate is reduced to ensure the authorized amount of property tax is levied.  But, if the total assessed value of all property within a jurisdiction goes down, then that jurisdiction’s levy rate is increased based on the authorized levy amount.  For example, following the Great Recession, Mercer Island property values have increased significantly, resulting in the City’s levy rate (per $1,000 AV) decreasing from $1.44 in 2013 to $1.00 in 2018.

See also a Seattle Times article (18 March 2018) on the state's complex property tax system and recent increases.

The City receives only 11.6% of property taxes paid by a Mercer Island resident (See graph below)

There are 208 authorized employees in 2017, including 12 contract (i.e., term limited) employees.  Relative to the population served, Mercer Island’s staffing ratio is one of the lowest among full-service cities in King County.  A full-service city generally provides all or most of the following services to its residents:  police, fire/EMS, parks & recreation, street maintenance, planning & community development, municipal court, water utility, sewer utility, and storm water utility.  A 2017 staffing comparison between Mercer Island and other full-service Eastside cities is provided below.  Sammamish was excluded because it contracts for police and fire services and does not have a water or sewer utility.  Despite the population differences among these cities, this is a generally accepted method for comparing staffing.  Note that Bellevue, which has the largest population, has a lower staffing ratio than Redmond, which has a population that is less than half of Bellevue.

It should be noted that Mercer Island had the lowest staffing ratio among this group of cities up until Kirkland’s annexation of Juanita, Finn Hill, and Kingsgate in 2011.

Looking at administrative functions only, Mercer Island has the lowest staffing ratio among full service Eastside cities (see table below).  These functions include the following:  Executive/City Manager’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology (IT), Geographic Information Services (GIS), and Public Communications. 

The City provides vacation benefits that are typical of other cities and professional organizations in our region.  City employees earn vacation benefits over the course of their employment based on an accrual schedule that is set either by City policy or a bargained (union) agreement.  For all non-represented (i.e. non-union) employees, vacation benefits are earned at the following rates:

Non-represented employees can accumulate a vacation balance up to a maximum of 240 hours, or 30 days.  The 240-hour limit is also the maximum amount eligible for cash-out at retirement or termination of employment.  Overall, there is typically no capacity for employees to “fill-in” for other staff during periods of vacation.  As a result, many City employees find it difficult to schedule and take vacations around their workload demands.  This challenge has resulted in an increase in earned vacation accruals.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) define vacation hours as an earned benefit, meaning the leave is attributable to past service.  An employee is entitled to receive payment for the hours earned, either through paid time off or a cash-out when terminating employment.  GAAP and the Washington State Auditor’s Office mandate that a liability be calculated and reported on the City’s financial statements for the value of this earned benefit.  The rules further state that earned vacation hours should be valued at the employee’s current rate of pay.  The resulting liability, commonly referred to as the “compensated absences liability,” is determined at the end of each year.

Looking at the past two years, the City’s employee turnover rate has been low, and actual vacation cash-outs have been less than 12 days per employee on average (for those employees who have retired or otherwise left the City).  Specifically, in 2016, the City had a turnover rate of 9.22%, and the average vacation cash-out was 88.75 hours per employee.  In 2015, the City had a turnover rate of 4.85%, and the average vacation cash-out was 79.0 hours per employee.

In addition to the vacation benefit, the compensated absences liability includes the value of earned compensatory (or comp) time off (i.e., time off in lieu of overtime pay).  Historically, bargained agreements for represented employees have included the option for employees to elect comp time off instead of receiving overtime pay.  The agreements allowed for the accumulation of comp time hours up to the maximum amount.  Overtime pay is regulated by federal employment law.  Comp time accruals are also defined as an earned benefit by both GAAP and the State Auditor’s Office.  Approximately 20% of the compensated absences liability on the City’s financial statements is attributable to comp time accruals.

Under state law, cities cannot increase the amount they collect from property tax by more than 1% annually.  One percent is the “lid.”  If the City wants to collect more than that, it needs to go to the voters to “lift” the lid.  Levy lid lifts can be temporary or permanent, and all the specifics must be spelled out clearly to voters in the ballot measure.

The City of Mercer Island is audited annually by the Washington State Auditor's Office and has received "unqualified" (i.e., clean) audit opinions for 23 years running, most recently in 2017 for the 2016 fiscal year.  Mercer Island is one of just a handful of cities in Washington that can make this claim. No other indicator provides a better measure of an organization's financial management practices.  The financial audit for the 2017 fiscal year is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2018.

In addition, the City has a “Triple A” (Aaa) rating from Moody’s, which is the highest possible bond rating.  This means that the City can secure the lowest possible interest rates when it needs to issue bonds to fund a capital project.

Such a question implies that the City has “fat” that could be cut. First, the City is very leanly staffed.  Compared to other full-service cities in King County, the City has one of the lowest total staffing ratios (relative to population) and the lowest administrative staffing ratio (see Question below:  Is the City overstaffed?).  Second, there are staffing reductions made during the Great Recession that haven’t been restored yet.  In addition, there are deferred maintenance projects on public buildings that have not been addressed yet.  Accordingly, there is no “fat” in the budget.  Any “belt tightening” would require service level reductions and/or additional deferred maintenance.

Property tax is the largest revenue source in the General Fund, representing 41% of total revenues.  It is the only single revenue source that can generate the amount of funding needed to bridge the projected deficits on an ongoing basis, thereby correcting the City’s structural imbalance.

Sales tax is the next largest revenue source, accounting for 18% of total revenues.  Unlike Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Issaquah, Mercer Island is a bedroom community with a very modest commercial sector.  Economic development efforts wouldn’t make much of a difference, potentially generating only $100,000-$200,000 annually in new sales tax revenue, because:  1) the City receives less than 1% of the 10% total general sales tax rate on Mercer Island sales; and 2) major retail businesses are already located near Mercer Island in Seattle and Bellevue.

Utility taxes are the third largest revenue source, comprising 14% of total revenues.  Making the temporary tax rate increase from 5.3% to 8.0% on the City’s water, sewer, and storm water utilities permanent, beginning in 2019, would generate $500,000 annually in new utility tax revenue.  This could be part of the revenue solution, but it would come up short of addressing the total projected operating deficit of $1.80 million in 2019, which grows about $1.0 million each year thereafter.

A breakdown of General Fund revenues budgeted in 2017 is provided in the chart below.

 You must file your claim within the state statute of limitations. There are different statutes of limitation for different types of claims. See RCW 4.16.160.

Yes. You must file a claim if you feel the City of Mercer Island is responsible for your loss, injury, or damages.

 The considerations in evaluating a claim include:

1. The particular facts of the alleged loss,  
2. The applicable law,  
3. Whether the City of Mercer Island has legal responsibility,
4. The claimant's role in the situation, and
5. The nature and extent of damages claimed.

 Claims must include:

• The claimant’s name, date of birth and contact info;
• A description of the conduct that brought about the injury or damage;
• A description of the injury or damage;
• A statement of the time and place that the injury or damage occurred;
• A listing of the names of all persons involved and contact information, if known;
• A statement of the amount of damages claim; and
• A statement of the actual residence of the claimant at the time of presenting the claim and at the time the claim arose.

And, the form must be signed either:

• By the claimant, verifying the claim;
• Pursuant to a written power of attorney, by the attorney in fact for the claimant;
• By an attorney admitted to practice in Washington on the claimant’s behalf; or
• By a court-approved guardian or guardian ad litem on behalf of the claimant.

The claims process follows Washington State Law Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 4.96.020.

Due to the unique public-private partnerships proposed, both commuter parking sites will deliver parking facilities for Mercer Island for the least possible cost by leveraging the City’s current and proposed land assets. For the Tully’s site, the City’s actual contribution, if any, for parking facilities is not yet known and will be further defined over the next six months as the City evaluates the property during its Due Diligence period. In the case of the Freshy’s site, the developer has agreed to provide between 65 to 70 public parking spaces to the City during commuting hours in exchange for the City’s sale of Parcel 7.  This arrangement leverages the value of the land, thereby alleviating the financial burden on taxpayers.  

• At the former Tully's Coffee site: The City plans to purchase the former Tully’s property located at 7810 SE 27th Street from Parkway Management Group, for a purchase price of $2 million, using a portion of the Sound Transit Settlement funds.  The parcel could then be combined with adjacent property (Parcel 12) that the City already owns at Sunset Highway, and which could serve as a match for the ST funds in keeping with the ST Settlement Agreement. The City plans to construct over a 100 underground parking spaces.  The City anticipates creating a public-private partnership with a developer to bring in the expertise and necessary funding to complete the project. 
• At the Freshy’s site: The City is selling a small parcel (Parcel 7) at the southwest corner of SE 24th Street and 76th Avenue SE in Town Center, for an estimated $2.3 million to Twenty Four Eleven LLC (Twenty Four Eleven). WSDOT deeded the triangular parcel to the City in 2000 for limited, specific uses, and will be the ultimate recipient of sale proceeds under the terms of the deed. The triangular property is adjacent to land owned by the buyer, where Freshy’s Seafood Shack operates today.  Twenty Four Eleven plans to build a mixed use project on the combined properties, to include 65-70 underground parking stalls for transit commuters that will be dedicated to the City of Mercer Island’s perpetual use between the hours of 5:30 am and 7:30 pm, Monday thru Friday.
   

The City plans to design a welcoming pedestrian flow from Town Center to the light rail station. The community’s input on the design will be critical.

Environmental contamination at the Tully’s site, caused by a gas station that once operated there, will be cleaned up.  The City and Parkway Mgmt Group are negotiating to seek reimbursement for the site cleanup from outside entities, including from the previous owners responsible for the contamination.
 

A Due diligence period allows a buyer to fully investigate property prior to closing (or finalizing the acquisition) to ensure that it is suitable for the buyer’s desired development or use.  Due diligence periods allow a buyer to withdraw from a purchase and sale agreement if something is discovered about the property that does not meet expectations.  In the case of the City purchasing the former Tully’s site, the City will have six months to investigate and evaluate the property in detail before making a final decision to purchase the property and proceed to closing. This is similar to a home inspection when purchasing a new home. 

Discussions are underway between the land developer and the owner of Freshy’s about a suitable space in the new proposed building.

Parking spaces on both properties are expected to be available by 2023, in time for the scheduled opening of the East Link light rail service on Mercer Island.

WSDOT deeded the triangular parcel to the City in 2000 for limited, specific uses, and WSDOT will be the ultimate recipient of sale proceeds under the terms of the deed. The City will receive compensation in the form of dedicated commuter parking provided by the developer: at today’s construction costs of $85,000 per underground parking stall, this is valued at approximately $6M.
 

Absolutely. The Council is pleased to help develop a project that meets demands for more commuter parking and that also “creates a vibrant, healthy Town Center serving the City’s business, social, cultural and entertainment center” (Town Center Plan). Citizen input will be welcomed and critical to ensuring a successful project. 
 

 If you wish to pay your fine without a hearing, payment may be made in the following ways within 30 days of issue of the citation/ticket:

• At the court with cash, check or money order.
• By phone to NCourt at 1.844.279.6287 with a credit card (see below for more info).
• Online at www.micourtpay.com with a credit card (see below for more info).

Important information about paying your fine with NCourt:

1. You must have your citation/ticket number in order to process payment.
2. You must have the fine amount owing.
3. If it is a parking ticket, you must provide the license plate number.   
4. A convenience fee will be automatically calculated and charged for the use of this service.

You must contact the court 24 business hours before the scheduled court date to determine if you are eligible to reschedule.

Within 15 days of the violation, you may come to the court to show proof that you were insured at the time of the incident, and the ticket will be dismissed with a $25.00 administrative fee.

If there is an additional violation on the ticket, you are responsible for the penalty amount associated with that violation.

The court did not receive your hearing request within 15 days, or did not receive your hearing request at all.

No. Within 15 days from the violation, you may show proof of your valid placard and disability card to the court and the ticket will be dismissed.

No, both violations must be handled at the same time. You must pay the full amount of the citation or request a hearing within 15 days.

The MIPD works to include de-escalation concepts into all use of force training.  Best practices teach that de-escalation is an integrated response to all potential situations that may result in the threat of or use of force.  MIPD officers are taught to de-escalate all interactions and situations when possible, by using effective communication, and utilizing tactics that create appropriate distance, time and shielding.  Through integrated use of force and de-escalation training, MIPD officers are given skills to accurately assess situations with the goal of resolving problems with the minimal use of force.

MIPD Policy states officers should consider that taking no action or passively monitoring the situation may be the most reasonable response to a mental health crisis. Once it is determined that a situation is a mental health crisis and immediate safety concerns have been addressed, responding members should be aware of the following considerations and should generally:

• Evaluate safety conditions. • Introduce themselves and attempt to obtain the person’s name. • Be patient, polite, calm, courteous and avoid overreacting. • Speak and move slowly and in a non-threatening manner. • Moderate the level of direct eye contact. • Remove distractions or disruptive people from the area. • Demonstrate active listening skills (e.g., summarize the person’s verbal communication). • Provide for sufficient avenues of retreat or escape should the situation become volatile.

Responding officers generally should not:

• Use stances or tactics that can be interpreted as aggressive. • Allow others to interrupt or engage the person. • Corner a person who is not believed to be armed, violent or suicidal. • Argue, speak with a raised voice or use threats to obtain compliance.

Law enforcement has almost universally turned away from the “use of force continuum” concept over the past 2 decades. The use of force continuum images used to train officers present an overly simplistic approach to decision-making that detract from the officer’s ability to make appropriate and effective use of force decisions while in the field. Training research has shown that the use of force continuum may cause an increase in the amount of force used by officers attempting to use the stair-stepping application of a continuum. MIPD trains officers to evaluate the situation with decision-making methods that correctly utilize current case law. Use of force standards are determined through applied Constitutional policing. MIPD officers have a variety of force options depending on what the situations dictate. MIPD officers are trained to use a variety of tactics, including de-escalation skills, to evaluate a potential use of force situation and apply only the amount of force that would be objectively reasonable and necessary to accomplish a legitimate law enforcement purpose. Any option of force used must be reasonable.

MIPD policy requires officers to issue a verbal warning prior to the use of deadly force when feasible.

It is the policy of the Mercer Island Police Department that all officers be trained to provide emergency medical aid and to facilitate an emergency medical response. Officers are trained in multiple medical programs including; Tactical Medical Care, First Aid, Adult, Child and Infant CPR, AED Operation and Opioid Overdose Medication Administration

MIPD officers receive extensive introductory as well as continuing annual training in Crisis Intervention. Currently (July 2020), most MIPD officers have received over 40 hours of Crisis Intervention training. This training helps to prepare law enforcement personnel to respond to people having a mental health crisis. This training includes legal aspects, mental health disorders, interpersonal relations necessary to effectively work with the mentally ill, and intervention strategies for dealing with both low and high-risk situations. The MIPD strives to get all officers into the comprehensive 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training course as soon as it is appropriate for their level of development.

Our policy requires any officer observing another officer using excessive force to intervene to prevent the use of unreasonable force. An officer who observes another employee use force that exceeds the degree of force permitted by law shall promptly report these observations to a supervisor.

The MIPD has been a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) accredited agency since 1991. This accreditation means that the MIPD is utilizing best practices and standards in multiple law enforcement areas including; Use of Force, Training, Code of Conduct, Role and Authority, Health and Safety, and Management, Staffing, Organization and Utilization of Personnel. The MIPD applies for re-accreditation every four years and must demonstrate continued compliance with nearly 150 areas of standards. More information about the accreditation process can be found at the WASPC website https://www.waspc.org/accreditation.

Since 2015 the MIPD has responded to 76,367 incidents (as of July 2020). Of those incidents, only 4 (0.005%) resulted in a physical use of force by MIPD officers. Three (3) additional incidents have resulted in a use of force report due to the officer using the threat of force to gain compliance.

Due to the size of our department (31 commissioned officers) and the minimal number of use of force and disciplinary incidents, the MIPD administration is able to track and monitor any potential issues with our officers without using a costly separate system. Close working environments and frequent crossover between all supervisors, officers, and department divisions creates an environment that allows for easy identification of any potential problems.

Yes.  Any staff member who applies restricted-use pesticides or uses power equipment to apply pesticides on public land is required by state law to be a Certified Public Operator. Mercer Island staff are certified through the Washington State Department of Agriculture and required to complete continuing education training through organizations such as the King County Noxious Weed Program and the Washington State Cooperative Extension Integrated Pest Management Program.  Pesticide certification ensures that staff follow best management practices for proper use and handling of herbicides, ensuring safety of the applicator and the public, and minimizing risk or exposure to off-target species. Currently, eighteen City staff members are licensed by the state.

No.  When the use of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) is the best fit for the target species, the City uses an aquatic formulation of glyphosate that contains no surfactants.  A surfactant is a chemical additive to herbicides that helps the herbicide stick to the leaves, which increases a plant’s uptake.  POEA (i.e. polyethoxylated tallow amine) is a surfactant known to be harmful to aquatic organisms, including amphibians, at high concentrations. For this reason, the City has elected to eliminate the use of POEA.  In many cases, the City adds an aquatic-approved surfactant to their treatments to ensure the treatments have maximum efficacy.

All herbicide applicators are required to follow regulations for notification on the herbicide label. The City posts signage at entrances to each treated area that includes the date, time, and chemicals applied for at least 24 hours following the application.