You spoke—we delivered. See the results from “What Should Edmonds Be?”
Dear Edmonds community,
We’re excited to share some big news with you.
On May 27, Keep Edmonds Vibrant! had the honor of presenting the results of our month-long civic engagement initiative, What Should Edmonds Be?, to the Edmonds City Council. (View our slides here.)
Thanks to you and 597 other engaged residents, we collected more than 43,000 votes and over 600 unique ideas about Edmonds’ future. Your voices helped shape a clear vision for a vibrant, thriving city—and we made sure the Council heard every word.
We’ll have an executive summary and a detailed report of results coming soon.
Here’s what we heard loud and clear from the community:
92% want to maintain beloved public amenities like the Frances Anderson Center, Yost Pool, and our parks and theatres.
80% support generating new revenue through expanded retail and business opportunities in strategic areas.
79% envision a walkable, bikeable Edmonds with clean air and housing options for all.
61% are open to modest sales tax increases to support public services (neighboring cities already have higher rates).
Our big takeaway?
Edmonds has a revenue problem—not just a spending problem.
Residents like you overwhelmingly support preserving what makes Edmonds special, and understand that doing so requires bold, sustainable action.
That’s why we proposed a two-part plan:
$9 million in new, non-property tax revenue policies adopted by the end of 2025—through school zone safety cameras, updated business license fees, smarter parking policies, and pursuing more grant funding.
A $12 million levy to close the budget gap and ensure Edmonds can thrive—not just survive.
Pursue mid- and long-term non-property tax revenue-generating policies (as outlined in our recommendations) in the next 1-3 years to decrease reliance on levies in the future.
We couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you for lending your voice to this movement—and for believing in Edmonds’ future.
With gratitude,
The Keep Edmonds Vibrant! Team
Adel Sefrioui, Elise Hill, Mackey Guenther, Erik Houser
team@keepedmondsvibrant.org