Hayden’s City council could decide at tonight’s meeting on how best to bring to voters a measure that would double the city’s police presence and how to explain on November’s ballot a property tax increase to pay for the increase.

The language for the November ballot measure must be approved in time to be added to the ballot. It must also adequately explain that the $403,506 cost of hiring four additional deputies dedicated to policing in Hayden will be a permanent addition to the city budget.

“If the citizens approve of adding the $403,506, the new base budget would take the current property tax levied and add the amount approved as the new base amount going forward,” Hayden administrator Brett Boyer said.

The amount would result in a tax increase of more than 3 percent, which the city is allowed without voter approval.

Tonight’s council meeting will be at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

Council members in an earlier meeting voted 3 to 1 to have the public decide whether the city should pay for four additional deputies in Hayden, increasing the number of county officers assigned to Hayden to 7 ½ much of the year.

The Coeur d’Alene School District pays part of the cost of a deputy to be a school resource officer in Hayden.

A ballot initiative to add more deputies was rejected by voters last year when it was coupled with a measure to upgrade roads and streets in Hayden.

The latest initiative is straight up, and only meant for public safety, Boyer said.

“It’s just for law enforcement,” Boyer said. “The idea was to keep it straight and simple.”

The city paid $285,645 last year for law enforcement and $273,893 a year earlier.

Council members considered the advice of an independent city group when it chose to move ahead with the ballot initiative.

The citizen group looked at crime statistics compiled by the sheriff’s office that showed an increase in aggravated assaults in Hayden from nine to 14 cases between 2012 and 2018, an increase in DUI cases from 74 to 96 and an increase in drug cases from 153 to 255. Auto burglaries however dropped from 78 to 38 over the same period, residential burglaries dropped from 72 to 12, and theft dropped from 340 cases to 226. Vandalism cases dropped from 118 to 53, and weapon offenses went from five cases in 2012 to two last year.

The discrepancies raised the concern of one council member who said they don’t justify doubling Hayden’s police force.

“They show a downward trend in severe crimes and a slight upward trend in less severe crimes,” councilmember Matt Roetter said. “We’re doing OK.”