Budget statements from Edmonds candidates Petso and Tibbott

Published 9:43 am Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Edmonds City Council candidates Lora Petso and Neil Tibbott recently sent statements about what they think are the most important factors in considering a city budget.

Tibbott is challenging incumbent Petso on the Nov. 3 general-election ballot.

The position is one of five Edmonds council positions on the November ballot.

Here are Petso’s and Tibbott’s statements, in the order that the candidates’ names will appear on the November ballot and in the voters’ pamphlet:

Edmonds City Council Position #7

Lora Petso: Municipal budgeting requires balancing different priorities and keeping an eye on the future. The final City budget should fund City services in a manner that:

• reflects the priorities of the citizens,
• provides financial stability for the city, and
• allows the city to both maintain our assets and seize opportunities to improve the city.

Neil Tibbott: City budgets constitute authority for expenditures. As Council members, it is important to stay focused on being good stewards of the public’s trust and tax dollars. If elected, I intend to take this work seriously and strive to prepare budgets that balance frugality with meeting the important service needs of our community.

When preparing, reviewing and deciding upon city budgets, I believe the following should apply:

• Budgets must present a comprehensive picture of services the city provides, the funding and cost of those services, and how budget policy issues have been addressed. Citizens need an opportunity to engage with clearly presented material.
• Making sure budget decisions relate to our city’s mission statements, goals, and objectives. while focusing on essential services. I expect to be held accountable for the way we commit funds.
• Budgets must be clear to provide city management with operating and capital plans that can be effectively implemented and monitored. Public hearings on the funding plans are an essential way for the public to remain involved, lending credibility to what the staff receives.
• Understanding community priorities helps inform budget decisions. This helps council members make decisions on how to spend resources on priorities expressed by citizens.

I’m committed to providing information in a variety of formats, informal and formal, for all citizens to learn about, understand and influence the budget process.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.