A sales tax increase proposed to maintain King County criminal-justice programs at current levels could face tough going at the ballot box, a KING 5 poll suggests.

Fifty-seven percent of the registered voters polled by SurveyUSA said they oppose the idea and only 37 percent support it. Results were reported by KING Thursday.

The Metropolitan King County Council is expected to decide Monday whether to ask voters in November to raise the sales tax by 0.2 cents on a $1 purchase, boosting the tax on most retail sales to 9.7 cents.

The King County sheriff, prosecutor and judges have warned of impending cuts in public safety programs because of a budget shortfall. But 55 percent of those polled agreed with the statement that the county would "find the money to pay for public safety some other way." Forty-one percent said they think public safety programs would be cut.

The county's general fund faces a $60 million shortfall next year.

The polling results led County Councilmember Reagan Dunn to make a new push for a Republican plan to offset a higher sales tax with reductions in some property taxes. Democrats have resisted that plan, saying it would favor rural homeowners over urban renters.

Dunn sent an e-mail Friday to criminal-justice officials and representatives for jail guards and sheriff's deputies, asking them to support one of four "tax-neutral" proposals made by him and fellow Republican Kathy Lambert. "Only these plans," he wrote, " . . . can muster the 50% needed to pass in November."