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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) Donnetta Walser is running for re-election as Monroe mayor.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, November 12, 2009 Monroe must fill $290,000 gap in budget By Andy Rathbun Herald Writer MONROE — Some city officials were banking on a promise to plug a big hole in Monroe’s budget. The $180,000 assumption jumped out when 2010 budget estimates were revealed Tuesday night. The money supposedly would come from building permits and construction sales tax for a proposed big-box store. But not a single brick has been laid, and negotiations for the land where it may be built are still under way with a Seattle developer. The council directed city staff to rebuild the budget without factoring in money it doesn’t have. With sales tax revenue already down, the city finds itself in a $290,000 hole, seven weeks before state law requires a balanced budget be in place. Monroe officials will weigh unpopular ideas, including more unpaid furlough days for city staff and a new tax. “We have some good ideas that came out of last night, ones that are realistic,” Councilman Tony Balk said Wednesday. “Some of them are more painful than others.” Balk proposed five furlough days in an effort to avoid layoffs, saying they could protect jobs by offsetting the cost of a contractually obligated raise. This year, city employees took two furlough days and saw a 5 percent cost-of-living raise. In 2010, most city employees will receive a 2 percent cost-of-living raise, the lowest amount allowed under union contracts. City staff proposed other ideas to deal with the shortfall, including a new tax on garbage and recycling. The tax could generate as much as $271,000 by raising utility bills $27 per year. Other cities, Sultan and Snohomish included, have a similar tax, Monroe officials said. City staff also pointed to the rainy day fund, which contains about $871,000. Service cuts are yet another possibility. Mayor Donnetta Walser recommended putting some social services on the 2010 ballot, to let voters decide some funding issues. Currently, the city sends money to places such as the Monroe Family YMCA. “The city has a bigger heart than a budget right now,” Walser said. Other elected officials looked at different trims. For instance, some councilmen suggested reducing legal expenses. Monroe doesn’t have an in-house city attorney, instead working with a Seattle law firm that charges a variable hourly rate. The 2010 budget already slashes attorney fees by 25 percent, however, from $200,000 to $150,000, finance director Carol Grey said. The budget situation puts Monroe in a tighter spot than its neighbors. Sultan plans to vote on a balanced budget tonight, while Snohomish is in the home stretch of its budget process. The glut of ideas to balance Monroe’s budget could come into sharper focus by Nov. 19, when the City Council may hold a four-hour session to winnow out the good ideas from the bad. “We have a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time,” Councilman Kurt Goering said. Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out Big Box store isn't the answer Carol, thanks for sending even MORE manufacturing jobs to China. Thanks for thinking like such a small minded, I-only-care-if-I-get-mine kind of person. Ask the people who LOST THEIR JOBS and the consumers stuck with Lowes, how they feel about losing Coast-to-Coast hardware store to a big boxer moving into Monroe? Walmart abuses their employees, perpetuates that China and countries who treat their citizens like slaves will own more of the U.S. (by buying our debt) because you want to save 89 cents on a roll of paper towels. All you can think about is tax revenue and how much money you'll save buying food that is designed to kill you and make you need big Pharma. It wouldn't even cross your mind of the infrastructure problems, pollution problems, generation of MORE garbage and even bringing in undesirable low class people who think Walmart is worthy of shopping at would create for Monroe. How will it affect Fred Meyers and their employees? Oh, you don't care. As long as you get to save a buck here or there. If you want people to spend money...GIVE THEM JOBS! Monroe needs to become more SMALL BUSINESS friendly more so than getting one honking, monolith of a store. We need diversity of businesses and to support buying local, instead of buying from China. Joan Bean | Nov 19, 2009 11:51 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal (No heading) With sales tax revenue already down, the city finds itself in a $290,000 hole, seven weeks before state law requires a balanced budget be in place. If tax revenues are down, part of that means that people are not making purchases in Monroe. I wonder why? Maybe because they can't get what they need in Monroe. The city is so afraid of the "Big Box" and "Big Bad Walmart", that they can't see the big picture. If we had a Walmart, the tax revenues would roll in. Yep, that's right, I'm a big advocate for Walmart. I'm the bad guy. I want more for my dollar, so I'll continue to drive to Marysville for my Walmart fix and give them my tax dollars. All those dollars could be Monroe's. And I know ALOTof people in this area who are just like me. Carol Cole | Nov 17, 2009 9:46 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal TO: Please bring forward what ever proof you have to support your allegation that Monroe has "dirty cops" as you put it, and I assure you the responsible(s) will be held accountable. However, until you do provide such proof, please do not make unsupported and anonymous allegations about the fine men and women of the Monroe Police Department. You are free to contact me directly at anytime. Mitch Ruth Councilman City of Monroe Mitch Ruth | Nov 13, 2009 4:44 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Well They could start by getting rid of some of their dirty cops. That would save them some money right there. R N | Nov 12, 2009 9:44 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal why is this an issue? When you take Monroe's "2000" population of 13,750 & divide that into $290g, that comes to $1.75 per person, per month. wow. that dang recession. I suggest Monroe quit "showing off" how well, financially, they are. cme everett | Nov 12, 2009 3:05 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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