A local option levy is a voter-approved property tax measure that allows local governments, such as cities to raise additional revenue for specific services or programs that the community values that aren’t fully covered by the city’s regular budget.
The Plan
Meridian has long prioritized responsible budgeting and efficient use of taxpayer dollars. As one of the fastest-growing cities in Idaho, Meridian has worked hard to meet the needs of the growing population while maintaining a conservative fiscal approach. Rising costs due to inflation, along with declining revenues from reduced new construction, are impacting the City’s budget. To address this, Meridian is exploring options for long-term funding to support critical public safety staff and continue meeting resident expectations for fire, police, and prosecutorial services.
To ensure Meridian can provide consistent, high-quality public safety services now and into the future, the City will be exploring new ways to stabilize and strengthen our budget. One idea is to seek voter approval of a dedicated local option levy to increase property tax revenue by $5,018,125.71, which would provide a reliable funding source for specific public safety needs, regardless of fluctuations in other revenue streams. If approved, the average single-family homeowner could expect to pay approximately $20.11 per $100,000 of valuation per year based on current estimates.
The City of Meridian will be holding several public meetings to gather input on a proposed ballot measure. Initial community discussions will take place in June and July and will ask for feedback from the public to investigate the proposed permanent local option levy. Based on the feedback, the City will further discuss the opportunity to place a permanent property tax levy on the November 4, 2025, ballot with our City Council. This local option levy would be dedicated to sworn police wages and firefighter staffing and provide funding for a new in-house prosecution team.
Why this levy matters?
As Meridian continues to expand, so too does the demand on our public safety services and their impact on the City's General Fund. This levy would provide critical ongoing funding to help sustain police, fire, and prosecutorial services to serve our residents.
This levy would allow the City to retain as many as 13 fire department positions, currently funded by the Federal SAFER grant, a key step toward meeting current needs and our long-term goal of achieving four-person crews across our fire stations to enhance the safety of firefighters and the community. This plan would also provide a stable, voter approved revenue source to help maintain current service levels in the police and fire departments, as well as begin the process for enhancing our prosecutor services in anticipation of future needs.
The levy would also provide supplemental salary to sworn police officers to continue to support the staff in order to help retain current officers and recruit people who wish to have a career in law enforcement in Meridian with a more competitive living wage.
The levy would also fund the creation of an in-house prosecutor's office for misdemeanor prosecutions currently handled by the City of Boise through a contract, strengthening the City’s ability to make its own determinations in which cases to prosecute, manage a growing caseload, and enhancing coordination across the public safety system.
How will the levy be spent?
The levy will be used to:
- Retain 13 firefighter positions following the exhaustion of grant funds;
- Increase police officer wages to recruit and retain officers;
- Fund a prosecution unit to prosecute crimes.
The date of the election is November 4, 2025. The City will collect $5,018,125.71 from the levy, beyond any amount otherwise allowed by law, beginning with the fiscal year commencing on October 1, 2026, and continuing each fiscal year thereafter.
The estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer will be a tax of $20.11 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions.
Schedule
We invite you to join us at any upcoming meetings to learn more about the proposed levy and share your feedback.
- June 10, 2025 - Staff presentation to Council
- June 17, 2025 - Council Workshop Discussion
- June 24, 2025 - City Council Public Hearing #1
- July 8, 2025 - City Council Public Hearing #2 and Council Decision
- November 4, 2025 - November Election Day
All City Council meetings are held at Meridian's City Hall, 33 E. Broadway Avenue or streamed online on the City's YouTube Page.
For information about public meeting participation, go to the City of Meridian's Public Meeting Information page.
FAQ
