Welcome to the Police Services and Child Safety Levy information page. I created this page to provide clear, direct information about the proposed City of St. Helens local option levy for police services that may be referred to voters for the November 3, 2026 election.

The proposal would ask voters to consider a five-year levy at $1.46 per $1,000 of assessed value, beginning in fiscal year 2027 to 2028. If approved, the funding would be placed in a dedicated police fund and used only for police purposes. The proposed funding is intended to help maintain twenty-four-hour, seven-day police patrol coverage, support Internet Crimes Against Children and child exploitation investigations, provide a dedicated detective for those investigations, and allow that position to also serve as a School Resource Officer when available.

This is a property tax levy, not a utility bill fee. My goal is to make sure residents have straightforward information about what the measure would fund, what it would cost, and what services may be affected if dedicated police funding is not approved. The materials on this page are provided so voters can review the proposal and make an informed decision. This information was/is available in the 07-21-2026 Special Session and video starts at 57:43 Council Special Session 07-21-2026. 

Link to Resolution 2087  (see full resolution below)

Note: If you beleive there is any informational errors, please let me know.

 

Let’s Address Some Of The Most Commonly Asked questions based on my current understanding:

Police Staffing: 

How many sworn officers does St. Helens currently have?

• The St. Helens Police Department currently has 19 active sworn officers. This total includes command staff, supervisors, detectives, and patrol officers. It does not mean that 19 officers are available to answer patrol calls.

How many officers are assigned to patrol?

The current budget provides for 11 patrol officer positions. At present, 10 patrol positions are filled, leaving one budgeted patrol vacancy.

• Patrol officers must provide coverage every hour of every day. They also attend court, complete reports, participate in required training, and take normal sick leave and vacation. This means the number of officers actually available at any particular time is much smaller than the department’s total sworn staffing.

Why are all 19 sworn officers not assigned to patrol?

• A functioning police department requires more than patrol officers. The total sworn staffing includes the Police Chief, Lieutenant, sergeants, detectives, and officers assigned to other essential responsibilities.

Detectives investigate complex cases that require interviews, search warrants, subpoenas, evidence review, coordination with prosecutors, and extensive follow up. Command staff and supervisors manage daily operations, training, scheduling, policies, major incidents, and personnel responsibilities.

Would the levy create new police positions?

• No. The official levy language states that the measure would fund existing staffing levels and that no new police positions are anticipated. The purpose is to maintain the officers currently serving St. Helens and prevent staffing reductions when temporary funding expires.

Why is the levy needed if the officers are already employed?

• The current staffing level is being supported through temporary bridge funding that expires on June 30, 2027. The levy would provide dedicated police funding beginning July 1, 2027.
• The official measure states that, without the levy or another secured funding source, police positions would need to be reduced, cut, or left unfilled.

How would the levy affect patrol coverage?

• The levy is intended to maintain consistent, continuous police patrol coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Maintaining the current staffing level gives the department the personnel needed to cover daily calls, emergencies, reports, arrests, training, court appearances, leave, and other responsibilities.

Does the levy add another detective?

• The levy does not create a new sworn position. It would allow the department to dedicate one current detective position to child exploitation, crimes against children, ICAC referrals, and School Resource Officer duties without eliminating the staffing needed for continuous patrol coverage.

Totals:

• 19 active sworn officers total

• 10 officers assigned to patrol (budgeted 11)

• Approximately 1.32 active sworn officers per 1,000 residents

• Approximately 0.69 patrol officers per 1,000 residents

 

Didn’t voters already approve a police levy?

Yes, Columbia County voters previously approved a countywide Enhanced Law Enforcement Levy for the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. That levy is separate from the proposed St. Helens Police Operations Levy.

The proposed St. Helens levy would fund the St. Helens Police Department, including the officers responsible for answering calls within the city, maintaining continuous patrol coverage, conducting local investigations, and providing other municipal police services.

St. Helens residents may periodically benefit from Sheriff’s Office services and interagency assistance, but the County levy does not directly fund St. Helens police officers or replace the City’s responsibility to fund its own Police Department.

The County also has a separate levy supporting Columbia County Jail operations. Neither the Sheriff patrol levy nor the jail levy provides operating revenue to the St. Helens Police Department.

 

Didn’t St. Helens already have 24-hour police coverage?

For the most part, St. Helens has maintained 24-hour, seven-day police coverage since October 2024. However, for almost all of that period, the department did not have enough fully trained officers available to staff every shift through the regular schedule.

To maintain continuous coverage, existing officers worked substantial overtime to fill uncovered shifts. While that approach preserved service to the community, it also increased overtime costs and placed additional demands on the officers carrying those extra shifts. It has also been causing serious burnout for the officers. 

The department has recently reached a more stable staffing position because additional officers have successfully completed the police academy and the required field training process. As a result, more patrol shifts can now be filled through the regular schedule rather than relying as heavily on overtime.

The purpose of the proposed levy is not to introduce 24-hour coverage for the first time. Its purpose is to maintain the current staffing level so the City can continue providing 24-hour coverage through a sustainable patrol schedule, reduce reliance on overtime to cover routine shifts, and avoid future staffing and service reductions when temporary funding expires.

 

 

 

Note: I declare a potential conflict of interest because my husband is employed by the St. Helens Police Department.  The conflict is potential, rather than actual, because any financial consequences of the levy on my husband are purely speculative.