"I continue to question the timing of it" Mayor Haakenson

By Pat Ratliff
The Beacon

Edmonds City Council has a lot on its plate, the most important item being budget problems.

Tuesday night another issue resurfaced: Should a levy be put before the voting public this fall or should the city wait a year and hope for an improved economy?

Mayor Gary Haakenson, in presenting a $3.75 million levy option, told the council, "There is no doubt in my mind that we need to submit a levy request to the voters of Edmonds. But I continue to question the timing of it. Many jurisdictions that had intended to put levies on the table this year have moved to next year or beyond. The logic? This is the worst possible time to ask voters for money."

The mayor said the city is funded for this year and by implementing work furloughs, wage cuts and other measures, it can get by.

Those furloughs and most of the budget cuts are of one-year duration, though. When the year ends, they are done.

But the city will still have a surplus of $1.3 million through next year, before the shortfalls arrive.

It may seem like a lot, but in a budget for a city the size of Edmonds it is not.

Government accounting practices recommend one month of expenditure amounts are $2.9 million PER MONTH.

In short, the city could get by next year without a levy in place, but it will be cutting it very close. And a levy would be necessary to prevent layoffs and program cuts in the future.

Mayor Haakenson stressed this in his budget presentation to council.

"The likelihood of budget cuts today being the same budget cuts six months from now, should the levy fail, is very high although not a certainty," he said.

"With the final say coming from seven council members six months from now, things can certainly change. So as I outline what is included in the levy, the assumption is that should the levy fail, city departments will remain at 2009 levels. In other words, underfunded and understaffed."

How much would the levy cost taxpayers?

That depends. Figures for the $3.75 million levy say a home assessed at $500,000 would pay $243 more per year.
The decision as to when to ask the citizens to pass a levy is an important one.

"We need to make sure on the timing of a levy," said councilman Michael Plunkett said. "If we have one this fall and it fails, we sure can't come back in 2010 with another one."

Some council members wanted to discuss a 2010 levy. But others feel differently.

"My own view is that voters are smart," council president DJ Wilson says in his guest column elsewhere in this issue. "They know the city is in a tough spot financially, and that waiting any longer only increases the stakes. As a council we should put this issue before the voters in November and campaign vigorously for its passage."

He adds, "For all of the time we've spent talking about the financial status of the city as well as time spent on plastic bags, backyard chickens and red-light traffic cameras it would not shine well on us to throw up our hands and put off again the chance to stabilize city finances."

What most people agree on is that a budget needs to be passed, either this year or the next, or Edmonds residents will see major changes in the city changes that most won't like.

City Council will make a decision concerning the levy soon within a month, most members believe.

If you care to get involved, let your councilors know how you feel.