SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT!
Neighbors, you may have seen a political flyer from “Puyallup Voters for Integrity.” If you haven’t seen it yet, share this page with your friends because you probably will. It takes major points out of context with loaded language to score political points for my opponent and help a group of political operatives push their Seattle-style agenda.
While it calls itself a “confidential survey,” it’s really a political ad from a Political Action Committee trying to bring Seattle-style politics into Puyallup. They use big numbers, strong language, and misleading claims to confuse voters. These are the same kinds of political tricks often used in Seattle — tricks meant to divide people, spread doubt, and change local leadership to fit their own goals. That’s not what Puyallup is.
This effort is being led by political operatives who have made many misleading statements at City Council meetings many times before. Their goal is clear: to help elect Seattle-style candidates who would undo years of steady work to keep Puyallup safe, financially responsible, and focused on the people who live here.
What voters are being shown in this flyer is not the truth. It’s an attempt by political operatives to make smart, responsible decisions look bad. These misleading claims do not show the real story of how public safety and city services have been handled. It’s Seattle-style politics at its worst — extremely divisive and misleading.
Puyallup deserves honest and clear information — not Seattle-style politics dressed up as surveys. The next sections will break down the misleading claims from these political operatives and explain the facts, so everyone can make decisions based on truth, not spin.
This PAC will stop at nothing to pursuade you with false and misleading claims.
THIS IS NOT WHAT PUYALLUP IS.
PUYALLUP RESIDENTS DESERVE BETTER.
👇 LET'S DIVE INTO THE FACTS. 👇
Property Taxes / “6% Increase”
MISLEADING CLAIM: The claim is that the council “voted to increase city property taxes by 6%,” raising the city levy from $1.00 to $1.08 per $1,000.
THE FACTS: Previous councils predicted the need in the future. The Council used banked capacity the city had legally accumulated over prior years to keep core services running without exceeding state limits or adding any special levy. Our action kept Puyallup within the same rules every city follows and helped avoid deeper cuts to police, roads, and parks during high inflation.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: Using banked capacity is a standard, state-authorized tool that stabilizes services while keeping the overall levy within the legal cap. It protects public safety today and prevents larger tax spikes later.
Utility Taxes on Electricity/Natural Gas and Comcast Fees
MISLEADING CLAIM: That the Council raised the utility tax from 4.2% to 6% and Comcast/Xfinity fees from 3.4% to 5%.
THE FACTS: Cities across Washington use modest utility excise taxes and franchise fees to help pay for street maintenance, police services, and emergency response — the same services those utilities depend on. Puyallup’s rates remain in line with, not higher than, most peer cities.
It would be irresponsible to continue neglecting aging infrastructure — an issue that has too often been kicked down the road from council to council. The goal was to make sure residents can count on clean drinking water, toilets that flush, and storm drains that don’t flood.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: These are minimal, broad-based adjustments that spread the cost fairly, keep officers on the street, and maintain the streets and utility systems that protect homes and businesses.
“Cut 7 Staff Positions,”
Including Library and Senior Programs;
Eliminated Economic Development Manager
MISLEADING CLAIM: The council cut seven positions, ended rentals at the Activity Center, harmed library collaborations, and eliminated the City’s economic development function.
THE FACTS: This is very misleading. First, the Council only has the authority to hire or fire the City Manager with a majority vote. The City Manager—not the Council—is responsible for hiring and staffing decisions. Departments were restructured to match workload and budget realities, with priority given to core front-line services like police, streets, and utilities. Where positions changed, services were continued through reassignments or more efficient delivery models. Economic development work remains active through interdepartmental collaboration and targeted contracting focused on supporting businesses and bringing jobs to Puyallup. And the claim about the Activity Center is simply false. The facility remains open and available at affordable rates, and community members are encouraged to use it!
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: Restructuring staff and modernizing how services are delivered ensures that taxpayer dollars are used wisely and that essential services remain strong. Instead of expanding bureaucracy, the City focused resources where they have the greatest impact: public safety, infrastructure, and community programs. This approach strengthens services without unnecessary spending and keeps critical community spaces like the Activity Center accessible and affordable for residents.
“Maxed Out the City Debt Limit”
“Rented a Police Station”
MISLEADING CLAIM: The City pushed its debt “to the maximum” to rent space on South Hill for a new police station.
THE FACTS: That is inaccurate framing. The Council selected the most cost-effective and fastest option available — leasing existing, code-compliant space that is co-located within the same building with our friends at Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, and remodeling the downtown station into the valley precinct. Independent cost comparisons showed that this approach avoids unnecessary spending and years of delays that would come with new construction. The City remains well within legal debt limits and financial policies.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: The current police station was built in 1968 and is no longer adequate to meet the needs of a growing community. Leasing existing space allows officers to move into safe, modern facilities much sooner and keeps a strong law enforcement presence downtown through the precinct remodel. This is a smart, long-term investment in public safety that helps keep neighborhoods secure and families thriving. Puyallup has always been a place where people want to live, work, and raise their families — and this decision helps ensure it stays that way.
“Voters Rejected a 2023 Bond"
"Council Ignored Them”
MISLEADING CLAIM: A 2023 proposal to build a new station/jail on city-owned land was rejected, so moving forward now “defies the voters.”
THE FACTS: Voters rejected a different plan with a much different price tag and risk profile at a very different interest-rate environment. We honored that message by finding a cheaper, faster solution (lease + remodel) without asking voters for a new tax. That’s fiscal discipline—not defiance.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: When costs escalate and needs are urgent, leaders adapt—choosing the option that delivers safety to you now and costs less long-term. Regardless of philosophical views, public safety should never be a political hot potato. This action was voted unanimously 7-0 by council.
“RFQ to Renovate the Current Jail After Saying It Wasn’t Feasible”
(RFQ = Request for Quotation)
MISLEADING CLAIM: We approved an RFQ to renovate the jail even though we said renovation wasn’t feasible.
THE FACTS: An RFQ is not a commitment; it’s due diligence. The Council directed staff to price specific options for transparency and comparison. That’s responsible management so the public can see real numbers—not guesswork.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: Getting hard bids and engineering opinions protects taxpayers and leads to the best value decision.
Transportation Benefit District (TBD) and the 0.1% Sales Tax
MISLEADING CLAIM: Falsely claiming that council “circumvented state law” by creating a new tax district run by the Council and raised sales tax from 10.1% to 10.2%.
THE FACTS: That’s false. Transportation Benefit Districts are expressly authorized under state law. Many cities govern their TBDs through their councils for efficiency. Revenues are legally restricted to transportation safety and maintenance—potholes, overlays, signals, school-zone safety—period.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: A 0.1% TBD is a common, accountable tool to fix aging streets and improve safety with a dedicated, voter-visible fund that cannot be diverted.
Utility Rate Changes and Monthly Billing
MISLEADING CLAIM: Claiming that council raised water (7.5%), sewer (5.5%), and stormwater (16.5%) and switched to monthly billing.
THE FACTS: Utilities are self-funded by law. State and federal requirements (water quality, storm standards, seismic, aging pipes) drive capital needs. Independent rate studies recommended phased, inflation-level adjustments to keep systems safe and solvent. Monthly billing helps households budget and reduces delinquency costs citywide.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: Deferring utility maintenance creates expensive emergencies and backups into homes and streets. Small, predictable adjustments save money over time and keep neighborhoods safe and dry.
9th Ave SW “Rebuilt Twice” and
Use of $600k in Sewer/Storm Funds
MISLEADING CLAIM: Claiming that the city “rebuilt the same block” again for the fair after doing it four years ago, wasting money and misusing utility funds.
THE FACTS: The corridor serves massive seasonal loads and had subsurface failures that required deeper, utility-level work—not just asphalt. When street, sewer, and storm assets are reconstructed together, the utility portion is paid by utility funds (which is exactly what happened), and the street portion by transportation funds. That’s standard best practice—do it once, do it right, and avoid digging the same street up repeatedly. The claim comes from inexperience and understanding how infrastructure occurs.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: Coordinating utility and street work at the same time is the most cost-effective approach and reduces future closures, costs, and disruptions for residents and businesses.
About the “Confidential Survey”
MISLEADING CLAIM: The mailer is just a “survey” to keep council accountable. This isn’t just misleading, it’s a flat out LIE.
THE FACTS: Calling it out what it is. It’s a political advertisement from a PAC (Political Action Committee). Calling it a “confidential survey” doesn’t change that it’s trying to influence your vote with selective numbers, insinuations, and misleading feckless claims.
* WHY IT WAS RIGHT: It’s not.
BOTTOM LINE
FACTS: We chose the lowest-cost, fastest path to a modern police facility, kept our city within state tax and debt limits, funded basic transportation safety, and invested in reliable utilities the right way. That’s not “circumventing the law.” That’s doing the job you elected me to do: protect public safety, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and tell you the truth.
The best disinfectant is daylight, and it’s my hope that this transparency clears up the feckless and reckless claims brought before our citizens this weekend by a political operative disguised as a Political Action Committee.
If you ever want the underlying reports, cost comparisons, or rate studies, they are available — because in Puyallup, accountability isn’t a slogan. IT'S OUR STANDARD.
VOTE FOR TRUTH, HONESTY,
& REAL INTEGRITY.
VOTE FOR DEPUTY MAYOR DENNIS KING
PUYALLUP CITY COUNCIL, DIST. 2