Snoqualmie eyes track to reduce city budget
November 25, 2009
By Tara Ballenger
The city of Snoqualmie will stay on a conservative track for next year’s spending if the current version of the nearly $53 million 2010 budget is adopted at the Dec. 14 City Council meeting.Donya Gregson, finance officer for the city, said she expected the budget to gain council approval with few disagreements.
“We thought we would have deliberations with initiative 1033. Now that that didn’t pass, we’re very happy,” she said.
Initiative 1033, defeated by voters Nov. 2, proposed that revenues to local governments be limited and excess revenues be used to lower property taxes.
Snoqualmie has not been exempt from the impact of the down economy, Gregson said, and city officials are looking to remain conservative until revenue improves.
“Last year, we reduced our spending levels, and we’re holding the line this year,” Gregson said. “We’ve been affected by reduced state shared revenues, and sales tax and property tax revenues have been hit hard, too, compared to last year. We’ve adjusted our budget accordingly.”
The city spent $52,721,090 on municipal expenses last year. The current version of the 2010 budget calls for spending $45,431,397, more than $6 million less.
Instead of going after new debt and construction, the city is going forward with projects already undertaken, including the grant-funded downtown revitalization and utility projects paid for with bond funding.
Two inspectors and one senior planner position will go unfilled next year as a way to save money and as a reaction to the slowdown in construction, Gregson said.
The budget does allow for two new jobs, however.
It calls for the hire of a lab analyst chemist and a senior industrial maintenance worker at the wastewater management plant.
The positions, she said, were added upon the recommendation of the federal Department of Ecology.
Routine checks made by the department found that the city was lacking enough qualified employees to meet health and ecology requirements.
The addition of an eighth police officer is also included in the draft of the budget.
Tara Ballenger: 392-6434 ext. 248 or tballenger@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
Comments
Got something to say?
