On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the North Bend City Council voted against the City of Snoqualmie’s proposal for police services, opting to return to the King County Sheriff’s Office. For more than a decade, the Snoqualmie Police Department has proudly served the residents and businesses of North Bend through a shared services model grounded in responsiveness, efficiency, and community trust.
Snoqualmie’s proposal, which was less expensive and received the highest total score by North Bend in a comprehensive review process, offered a cost-effective solution while maintaining faster response times and continuity with a department already embedded in North Bend’s community. The proposal also included meaningful steps to improve communications and collaboration processes by establishing a police advisory committee.
“We are disappointed that the North Bend City Council declined continuing our longstanding police services partnership,” said Mayor Katherine Ross. “Despite this outcome, public safety remains our top priority. Snoqualmie residents and businesses will continue to be served with the same police responsiveness and professionalism that have maintained our ranking as one of the safest cities in Washington for nearly a decade.”
Since February 2024, the City of Snoqualmie had been meeting and negotiating with North Bend in good faith throughout the interlocal agreement (ILA) renewal process, with the hope of agreeing on a price that reflected current policing costs. In recent years, North Bend’s financial contribution represented just 27% of the total cost of police services, despite accounting for 46% of all calls for service. Although North Bend has a smaller population than Snoqualmie, North Bend’s types of calls for service have often required more officers and more officer staff time due in part the city’s close proximity to I-90 and a higher number of commercial businesses.
“We stand by our decision to propose a model that reflects the true costs of providing police services for North Bend,” said Mayor Katherine Ross. “The proposed contract price protected Snoqualmie’s long-term financial sustainability and ensured that Snoqualmie taxpayers were not subsidizing North Bend police services.”
The City of Snoqualmie is committed to working cooperatively with North Bend and King County throughout the transition process. As of May 8, Snoqualmie has not received a formal notice of termination of the ILA.