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 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010 2:27 pm |
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Local News 
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Lynnwood cops face job cuts LYNNWOOD -- It was a hastily organized meeting held last week between Police Chief Steve Jensen and leaders of the city's two police unions to go over the latest citywide budget projections for 2011-12.The news was sobering: As it stands, there will be a $21 million gap between the services the city provides and how much money is expected to come into to City Hall coffers. That means layoffs and program cuts are likely, if not inevitable. And public safety, which uses the biggest slice of the budgetary pie, is facing perhaps the biggest hit of all. "We went through the targeted budget numbers and potential reductions," Jensen wrote in a memo last week to police department employees. "Their response was similar to ours in that there was initial disbelief at the magnitude of the cuts." In short, there's a projected gap of about $9 million between the amount of money the police department needs and what's expected to be available in 2011-12. That number represents about 25 percent of the police department's share of the two-year budget. Those projections are sending shockwaves through City Hall. As many as 23 police department jobs may be cut, including the sole animal control officer, patrol officers, office support staff and more, said Mark Brinkman, president of the Lynnwood Police Guild, which represents the lion's share of the department's employees. Cuts of that magnitude "would decimate the department," Brinkman said. "The best-case scenario is civilian positions would be gone. Possibly up to two clerks would lose their jobs and we'd go to just daytime service for clerical staff." The city's budget dilemma occupied much of the City Council's time since a February update by former finance director John Moir reported that late 2009 revenues had fallen short of predictions. The following month, Moir resigned days after storming out of a heated council budget meeting. By May, after two consultants weighed in on the city's budget, council members managed to plug a $5.5 million budget hole for the remainder of 2010. They agreed to new taxes on gas, electricity, water and sewer and held off on some spending. That took care of 2010 but bigger problems loom ahead. The council also borrowed $3 million from the city's utility fund. That money, plus $2 million taken from the stabilization fund and $1.3 million moved from capital spending, needs to be paid back in this coming budget cycle, finance director Patrick Dugan said. Dugan says the departments asked for $102.6 million for their budgets in the next two-year cycle, but he projects that the city will bring in just $87 million. After paying back what the city owes from earlier borrowing, Lynnwood faces a $21 million hole. "We knew it would be a bigger challenge to fix 2011," Dugan said. Officials say the biggest reason for the expected shortfall is the drastic drop in sales tax collections last year and in 2008. Sales tax collections improved in 2010 but the increases are too little, too late to ward off shortfalls in 2011 and 2012, Dugan said. Police aren't the only ones worrying what 2011 will bring. Fire Chief Gary Olson said initial figures show he might have to cut his budget by $4.3 million. If projections hold, "it's going to be all of our clerical support staff," he said. About one-third of the firefighters and paramedics in the 63-person department would lose their jobs and it's possible one of the city's two fire stations would have to close. Negotiations are under way with the union to forge an agreement on a contract that expired Jan. 1, Olson said. Lynnwood Municipal Court administrator Jill O'Cain told the council Wednesday the $833,000 in anticipated cuts to her department would eliminate 10 of 13 employees. In memo last week to the mayor and council, Judge Stephen E. Moore suggested it may be necessary for the city to cut its court loose. "It is the duty of the executive and legislative branches to adequately fund the court," Moore wrote. "In the absence of a willingness to do so, the city should explore the possibility of disestablishing its own court and contracting with Snohomish County for judicial services, as it has done in the distant past." In the days and weeks ahead, the council will continue meeting with department heads in an effort to ease the impact of cuts as much as possible. Frank Navage, president of local 3035 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said so far no talks are scheduled with the city's administration. "As a general philosophy, we would like everybody to share in the pain, so to speak, and not exempt any particular group," he said. Council President Ted Hikel on Friday said the city's budget dilemma is urgent but far from a disaster. "We have a long way to go," said Hikel, referring to the December deadline for approving the next two-year budget. "If we didn't look at the budget early, we wouldn't be doing our job." Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429; ohalpert@heraldnet.com. |
- A Dick's Drive-In for south Snohomish County?
- Suspect arrested in Everett manhunt after shots fired at officer
- Reardon makes pitch for Dick's Drive-In
- Man claims self-defense in killing
- A stroke of kindness for Everett woman
- Bus driver avoids I-5 tragedy in harrowing south Everett collision
- Boeing won't buy supplier
- Edmonds teen missing since Thursday
- More public housing smoking bans possible
- Charges for alleged robbery at Alderwood mall
- A Dick's Drive-In for south Snohomish County?
(54) - More public housing smoking bans possible (50)
- Mukilteo's red-light camera fight on radar of others (26)
- Report on Granite Falls police chief fills 5 binders (11)
- Income-tax initiative's math adds up (11)
- Man accused of shooting at police had allegedly bought drugs (10)
- ACLU opposes student cell phone search (9)
- Crash leaves car embedded in Everett Transit bus (9)
- Suspect arrested in Everett after chase that shut down I-5 (9)
- Judge rules against Trafton supporters (9)
- Prep football: Picks of the week
- Sixth Annual Puget Sound Bird Fest
- PTSD: The battle after the war
- Jackson relying on new faces
- Edmonds Center for the Arts announces new season
- Stevens Hospital District taxes to stay
- Mountlake Terrace seeks more success seeking more success
- Hootenanny hosts singer/songwriters
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COMMENTS
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Let Hikel keep whistling in the dark. Maybe stop ignoring Jim Smith and actually do some common sense cutting. But knowing Gough and Hikel the answer will be more red light cameras and telling us how affordable redoing the pool is.
s scriber | Jul 26, 2010 12:41 am | 1 replies | Request removal
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Thank you.
Jim Smith | Aug 04, 2010 1:52 pm | Request removal
I have lived near Meadowdale High for 13 years. I am not going into any detail but I have graduated two and two more to go and I am out of this city. I once loved it, bragged about where I lived. Now it is embarassing. I don't know if I can make it much longer. I get so sick of having to pay real close attention to the speeds I drive. Luckily I know all their dirty little hiding spots. My dad got a ticket for 6 over in the famous 164th s curves.....he said he will not come down and visit me again (from Everett) and he hasn't in a year. But when they took out the parking strips to add bike lanes on streets no one bikes on, forcing the people who live there to muddy up their yards and park in them. That was it for me. There is no hope for the type of mental disease afflicting our city council and the idiots who elect them over and over.
Ray Becraft | Aug 3, 2010 4:14 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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Perhaps other cities should pay heed to the situation Lynnwood is in. Their grees for revenue based primarily from traffic infrations has caused the city to fold like a cheap suit. I Remember when 196th was full of eatieries and bars to attend. Now only a foll would open an establishment in that city, because the minute you do all the ticket hungry police will be camped outside of your lot to pull over every customer you have on any trumped up charge they can produce! Enjoy your shorfall Lynnwood, you have no one to blame but yourself! See you in Mukilteo or Mill Creek!
Mike French | Aug 3, 2010 11:52 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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Could it be the people like myself have decided to shop elswhere ? Sounds to me that the fast "red light camera" buck is turning into a slow return to retail sales. Nice to see I am not alone in not shopping in Lynnwood.
And by the way- I have no tickets or accidents. So you camera lovers can step off !!!
Bill Wade | Jul 27, 2010 7:33 am | 5 replies | Request removal
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Shopping is not the reason that the emergency services are facing budget shortfalls. In Washington property taxes go to pay for these departments, not sales taxes. The reason that the country, including Washington, is in this position is because home owners are not able to pay their taxes or have left their homes to live in apartments. But as a whole this is just one small portion of the equation, there is more to it than just the tax revenue.
Anthony Rudolph | Jul 27, 2010 7:27 pm | Request removal
"Officials say the biggest reason for the expected shortfall is the drastic drop in sales tax collections last year and in 2008."
Local Yokel | Jul 28, 2010 7:46 am | Request removal
While it's true that cities receive money to pay for services from property taxes and retail sales tax, don't forget that almost every taxing district or city runs levies. The City of Lynnwood also has an EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Levy that was approved by the voters and gives an additional $.50 per thousand of assessed property value for EMS. The city council needs to base future budgets on realistic revenue projections and any surplus used to create a raid-proof "Rainy-Day Fund. In addition, the cities elected officials need to stop approving non essential programs, hold department heads accountable for maintaining their individual departments budget and encourage all city employees to reduce costs. This can happen if your elected officials make it happen. Just quit threatening the citizens with police and firefighter layoffs if taxes aren't raised, the money is certainly there for basic services.
Bob J | Jul 28, 2010 2:52 pm | Request removal
" The city council needs to base future budgets on realistic revenue projections and any surplus used to create a raid-proof "Rainy-Day Fund."
In principle I agree, but the problem is that this city is governed by people who are constitutionally incapable of restraining themselves from spending. It's like they are genetically bred to be spending machines.
You know how sharks eat? That's how they spend here in Lynnwood. We've had a grab-bang giveway kind of windfall with gobs and gobs of money coming in thanks to these red-light gotcha cams, recently - a huge spike in revenue - and we are still millions in the red. It's unreal.
Regrettably I don't know what could really be done to make any funding source raid-proof. Creative accounting lets them rob Peter to pay Paul time after time after time after time after time. If we have, say, a ten-million dollar rainy day fund, then you can bet the farm that, even with a booming economy, we'd be having a rainy day before you knew it.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 28, 2010 3:06 pm | Request removal
JK, Well put.
Bob J | Jul 29, 2010 7:40 am | Request removal
Lynnwood has WAY too many cops. I think a slimming down of the police force wouldn't hurt. You can't go ten blocks without seeing one and that can be nice and make one feel safe, but it is unrealistic and unnecessary. it's Lynnwood for christ's sake, not Compton.
The courts - at least the traffic court - is a joke. 150 people in a room fighting the automated traffic light fines. The judge calls everyone up, listens to their BS story and then automatically drops the fine in half no matter how goofy the story is. A monkey could literally do this job. But instead you have a judge, a clerk, and filer, translators and at least one bailiff and who knows how much paperwork. Stupid.
And yes, trim down everyone's salary and force furloughs. EVERYONE has had to tighten their belts over the last two years; it's time for the city to do the same. I think enough people have said this now that the city should start listening.
arthur fonzarelli | Jul 26, 2010 9:36 am | 4 replies | Request removal
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You are absolutely right about way too many cops in Lynnwood. The same is true of Mountlake Terrace and Edmonds. Way too many cops and not nearly enough to do because these are relatively law abiding communities. I see them as revenue agents out there to shake us down for money.
alan kimball | Jul 26, 2010 8:12 pm | Request removal
Your argument is flawed, you say there are too many law officers, that may be, I dont know what the officer per citizen ratio is in Lynnwood, the suggested ratio from criminal justice experts is one officer per thousand,(the Sheriff's Office is something like .5 deputy or less per thousand, I believe) for patrol purposes. That does not include traffic enforcement, supervisors, and other specialty assignments. If the ratio is above that, than yes, I agree cuts should be made or specialty assigments funded from citizens, read: tax dollars, should be cut. If not, than I think one could make the argument that that number of patrol officers you see is what is respondsible for these cities being so "law abiding".
Boston Terrier | Jul 27, 2010 11:21 am | Request removal
Well, if south Tacoma and the rainier valley suddenly were law abiding after an increase in the number of cops you would have a point. But this area has always been quiet and law abiding, I have lived in Terrace 23 years. When I first moved here there were not nearly as many cops and it was the same as it is now.
alan kimball | Jul 27, 2010 8:04 pm | Request removal
Rainer Valley and South Tacoma are completely different than Lynnwood, and South Snohomish County, socio-economically. It is comparing apples and oranges to compare those two areas with Lynnwood. The demographics are so far apart, it is not reasonable or prudent to make any comparison, thus your example is without merit.
Boston Terrier | Jul 28, 2010 4:32 pm | Request removal
Either everyone take a pay cut, sliding scale percentage-based (i.e. the more you make, the more comes out of your check) or everyone who makes $75,000 a year or more take a 10% pay cut. The money is there - you just have to "tap the source". Problem solved.
David Schatz | Jul 26, 2010 12:29 am | 8 replies | Request removal
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The unions are screaming their bloody heads off at the prospect of just a few furlough days. A pay cut will give them a collective fit of apoplexy.
Which frankly, I'm fine with.
The city has a golden opportunity here: simply impose a pay cut and/or enough furlough days to make a material difference in the numbers and get us on the road to recovery, and if the unions pitch a fit? Tell them to take it or leave it.
If employees find it unacceptable? Fire them. We live in an at-will state.
There are droves and droves and droves of more qualified workers who've been displaced from the private sector to sweep in and take those jobs instantaneously.
Naturally, don't expect anything like this to happen.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 26, 2010 1:47 am | Request removal
Bust the Unions. Exactly what I'd expect from a Conservative.
david coulter | Jul 26, 2010 6:27 am | Request removal
We don't live in a right ot work state
A M | Jul 26, 2010 3:14 pm | Request removal
Bust the Unions. Exactly what I'd expect from a Conservative.
Normally I'm pro-union, and in the case of firefighters and police, I think their unions clearly have a role to play in protecting our first-responders from the machinations of opportunistic politicians.
But a union for computer techs? Street planners? Secretaries? Project managers? In short, for every two-bit administrative drone infesting local government? Unions for those positions serve no purpose other than to guarantee a steady gig to vast hordes of people who could never hold down a real job in the private sector.
The private sector started shedding its dead wood two years ago. Government at every level is long overdue to do the same.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 26, 2010 4:08 pm | Request removal
Its so funny, I am a conservative, and I am pro union. So not all conservatives have that viewpoint. I have never been anti union, and Ive never voted liberal.
TanyaLee | Jul 26, 2010 11:24 pm | Request removal
Tanya, the majority of unions out there exist because management has proven itself to be ruthless in its treatment of employees. Unions would not exist if management didn't prove itself to be hostile to the workforce and willing to grind laborers into dead dust, preferably for poverty-level wages.
But government unions... I'm telling you, they are something else entirely.
I'm also very pro-union and believe me my eyes were opened when I worked in government for a year. You just cannot imagine. Paper-pushing bureaucrats are unionized, in government. These people sit in air-conditioned offices wearing business suits and ride a computer all day long, and are paid quite well courtesy of your tax dollars and mine. If anybody doesn't need a union it's them.
Police and Firefighters are a different story.
Every city should give their parasitical civil service a massive enema, right now while there are so many displaced workers out there from the private sector who would be delighted to step in an replace union workers.
Basically in government the union serves only to make it impossible to fire even the most shockingly bungling incompetent no matter what.
Those days are long due for extinction.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 27, 2010 12:17 am | Request removal
Jacques my french friend, he alluded you were a convervative, aren't those fighting words? lol :)
Boston Terrier | Jul 27, 2010 11:12 am | Request removal
Sometimes I let an insult slide.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 27, 2010 1:30 pm | Request removal
The Herald published my letter months ago about too many employees on the public teat. Everyone in the private sector has had to adjust and learn to live with less, yet government workers are still getting pay raises! Mention furloughs or pay cuts to these parasites and they go into diabetic shock. When the revenue stream has dried up like it has due to lower sales tax revues because the rest of us have less money, you have to CUT CUT CUT, and the best thing to cut is the government workers, and their salaries, pensions, 401k's, vacations, ETC!!!
KB Cooper | Jul 27, 2010 1:04 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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I'm gonna have to quit reading the Herald online, I keep finding myself agreeing with Jacques!!! Oh the humanity!!!
Boston Terrier | Jul 27, 2010 11:13 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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Quote from the article; "Police Chief Steve Jensen and leaders of the city's two police unions to go over the latest citywide budget projections for 2011-12."ť
The Police unions have already negotiated Salaries, Health Care benefits, Pensions ages with the city of Lynnwood. Truth is any Airline or Private Company would be required to reduce expenditures or face bankruptcy. Renegotiation to prevent going out of business is a fact of life. However, City Managers always just recommend increasing Taxes to hide their incompetence.
I know the Unions will always demand more. Sometimes Management needs to tell the union no and cut costs. Taxpayers must tell the city no more Taxes, live within your budget.
Sky Diver | Jul 27, 2010 9:23 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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Thank the damn Unions.
JS First | Jul 26, 2010 12:44 pm | 7 replies | Request removal
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What the f do unions have to do with this. Maybe they will remember that when they come to your house when you call 911
A M | Jul 26, 2010 3:06 pm | Request removal
Lynnwood University was bad enough. $601,021 for a feel-good PR department consisting of two people.
Let's take a look at some more figures from the 2009-2010 budget.
Bear in mind that we're being threatened with reductions in core services like police for want of money
RECREATION CULTURAL ARTS: $538,985
RECREATION CUSTOMER SERVICES: $789,879
RECREATION SENIOR CENTER: $653,813
RECREATION SPECIAL EVENTS: $418,391
RECREATION TEEN PROGRAMS: $75,864
RECREATION YOUTH PROGRAMS: $1,083,173
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 26, 2010 4:21 pm | Request removal
The only line item I can see there that doesn't have a justified reason is rec customer service. The other stuff, you will pay for one way or another. After all, it is Lynn-Hood. You can either put kids in jail for drugs and petty crime, or give them another outlet. My vote is for the later of the two. We've tried locking everyone up AKA War on Drugs and we can see how well that one goes.
Flawed Perspective | Jul 26, 2010 6:09 pm | Request removal
I'm sure that's how it's justified, FP, but I just don't buy it. I don't believe for a minute that kids who are inclined to become gangbangers and druggies would be even remotely interested in any of these happy-clappy teen and youth programs.
Government has no place doing these feel-good programs, not in this kind of environment where we're being threatened with cuts to law enforcement. We're cutting cops but whizzing away a cool half mil on "cultural arts" alone?
Nuh uh.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 26, 2010 6:42 pm | Request removal
OH heck no!
The government has NO business paying for recreation cultural arts, what is that anyway, rec customer services, or the special events. Talk about morons! NO wonder this country is a mess. ANd as far as the kid programs, I think parents have the job to pay for their kids to be in programs. NOt the government. GRRR. And ya what do Unions have to do with anything?!!!
TanyaLee | Jul 26, 2010 11:22 pm | Request removal
These programs are symptomatic of our "nanny state" mentality. It doesn't take a village (read: taxpayers) to keep these kids out of trouble, it takes parents. Parents who will get off their butts and become involved with their kids. More than just sharing a pipe with them.
david coulter | Jul 26, 2010 11:26 pm | Request removal
There is a bit of nanny state contributing to this, but by and large it's a question of civil servants inventing all manner of new programs so they can have ever more "make work" in order to look busy and keep collecting taxpayer-funded paychecks.
This "Lynnwood University," for example. It could go away tomorrow and do you seriously think even one tenth of one percent of Lynnwood residents would even notice? No. Yet we whizz off over $600K on it, just like that.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 27, 2010 12:20 am | Request removal
Perhaps the mayor should take 365 furlough days...
pixel vixen | Jul 26, 2010 1:40 pm | 2 replies | Request removal
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Amen!!!
A M | Jul 26, 2010 3:06 pm | Request removal
LOL pixel! Brilliant Idea! The government needs to stop funding this crap and pay for what matters, our fire emt and police force! End of story. NO one should lose there job, and seniors and the disabled should NOT lose any funding@
TanyaLee | Jul 26, 2010 11:26 pm | Request removal
Just install more red-light cameras. That should solve your budget shortfall...
John Public | Jul 26, 2010 9:39 pm | 1 replies | Request removal
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The red-light gotcha cams are a damning indicator of how this city spends money like a drunk sailor in port after six months at sea. Those cameras have contributed a freaking JACKPOT WINDFALL to the city and we are STILL millions in the hole.
Lynnwood needs some kind of 12-step program or something.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 26, 2010 10:56 pm | Request removal
What happend to the millions the freaken redlight cameras made, remember the story in this paper? The revenue from said lights are to pay for police and fire short falls. Looks as if the city is trying to pull a fast one!
todd christensen | Jul 26, 2010 6:59 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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The city will put the PD and FD up on the block to get more of our tax dollars.
Yet, they continue to spend our tax dollars as if we have the money.
One example; The remodel of the pool and rec center, is estimated to between $22 million and $25.5 million.
Lynnwood city government has all the money, they need and then some.
Local government, needs to consolidate and regionalize public safety services, and stop trying to tax and ticket your way out of this recession.
Dan Smith | Jul 26, 2010 2:21 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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Well the redlight mafia is doing its job and chasing away business from LynnHood, the Red Light cameras are NOT raking in the amount to cover the loss in sales tax revenues.
Bummer Dudes. Try treating people like people instead of revenue sources.
Ptui.
Aaron Everett | Jul 26, 2010 2:18 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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It is nothing short of breathtaking to consider that Lynnwood is mulling cuts to law enforcement at the same time they're continuing to fund this white elephant:
http://www.ci.lynnwood.wa.us/Content/CityHall.aspx?id=810
Do you believe this? You can't make this $#|t up.
"Lynnwood University is back. For the 8th year in a row, Lynnwoodians are offered the opportunity to attend the award winning and free 9-week Lynnwood University. Students of Lynnwood University will learn about every phase of our city government and operations through demonstrations, tours and hands-on activities conducted by city staff, City Council Members, and the Mayor. This fun, exciting, and interactive program meets from 7:00 "“ 9:30pm each Thursday from September 9th to November 4th, 2010."
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 26, 2010 1:11 am | 2 replies | Request removal
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According to the Lynnwood 2009-2010 Budget, this dead-wood department costs the city $601,021.
This is a department of two people! that I never even heard of it until the Herald ran a story about it a few months ago, and I've lived in Lynnwood for ten years and consider myself at least somewhat plugged in to what goes on with the local gov't.
I daresay there is nothing this department does that will cause the end of the world if it is axed, and $601,021 will be way better spent on law enforcement.
Cripes, what priorities this town has.
Jacques Klahaya | Jul 26, 2010 1:36 am | Request removal
wow! This can be as exciting as ....
You can: (1)Try on firefighting gear and watch the jaws-of-life in action, (2) Learn how to solve a criminal case and come face-to-face with a police K-9, (3) Tour our beautiful city parks and the award-winning waste water treatment plant (winner here!!!), (4)
Find out how lumber and eggs sparked Lynnwood's development and zzzzzzz.
Or you can try your own experiment by sitting in your own ride and having
an accident cause you stopped before you were gonna run that red light and crashed into a car in front and another car crashed into you. They can use the jaws of life to cut your car up and get you out, the police (if anyone still works there) can wonder who did what and the police dog and I can go for a burger or play. Shame a lot of money is being spent on the Lynnwood University, rather that doing good.
CHARLEY THE DOG | Jul 26, 2010 1:13 pm | Request removal
Why would Lynnwood PD needs a full time spokeswoman?
Police chief should take over the spokesman duty just like other cities are doing today.
royal reader | Jul 26, 2010 12:59 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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Traffic court is a huge joke, just like Arthur stated in his posting. A ton of money could be saved by outsourcing the whole operation to some place like India. The way it would work is that the accused would come forth and participate in a brief video conference with a "judge" in India who would spend no more than a minute listening to the "BS" excuse. Then, the fine would be reduced by a certain established amount, and that would be that! Yep, it's monkey work and there's no need to pay some incredible salary to a local judge who couldn't care less and is bored to tears.
Douglas Stevens | Jul 26, 2010 11:00 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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The spend spend spend attitude of the last three decades is over. Myself included! Our, my, generation of "Gen X'ers" have been living on credit for decades now, yes, Gen X'ers are THAT old.What's the line from the movie? Your ego is writing checks your body can't cash? Bleh, its true however campy it is. And those spending habits have creeped, nay, leaped, into the public sector. And now we are reaping what we have sown. I guess those red light cameras aren't funding the city like they hoped. I, for one, am not willing to fund a government on the backs of it's citizens by increasing revenue through code enforcement. That being said, Judege Moore issues some sage advice to the legislative branch and executive branch: CONTRACT. Not just court services, but police and fire services as well. It is idiotic to have all these chiefs and so few indians, (my apologies to the Native Americans). Take the fire service for example. Imagine if all the fire districts in Snohomish County were merged. Each of those districts has their own chief, their own administration, their own staff, doesnt it seem a duplication of effort? What if the Sheriff's Office was run that way? I'm no expert in fire fighting or managing a fire department, but it stands to reason that if they combined their efforts, at least some money could be saved. As far as law enforcement goes, Lynnwood should contract services with the county. Yes, officer's would get a pay cut, (Lynnwood PD officers generally make more than Deputies), but, the perks, I believe, would outweigh that. Hopefully those officers will find work in Marysville or Kirkland or someother city in a hiring frnezy!
Boston Terrier | Jul 26, 2010 8:57 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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Gee a bunch of revenue generators replaced by red lite cameras.
Those cameras stink but this is their one good result.
Jon Cannelo | Jul 26, 2010 8:41 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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This is the new world order,private workers who make alot of money have to compete with India's and China's $3.00 a day wages to make the same products. So US workers are taking huge pay-cuts. They feed gov workers wages. So gov workers wages must come down to reflect the lower spending (sales tax) of private workers. Hard facts, but it is simple economics. What goes around comes around.
WESTERLY FLOW | Jul 26, 2010 8:23 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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