MUKILTEO — Balancing the city’s 2004 budget could result in closing the city’s fire station in Old Town, which could considerably increase emergency response times in the north end of Mukilteo.
At a public hearing tonight, the City Council will consider a menu of 20 different ways to piece together how it will cover a projected $443,000 budget shortfall.
Option No. 2 on the list is a proposal to not fill a fire captain position at Fire Station No. 1, which is located in the heart of Old Town.
Currently the position is filled with a temporary firefighter, which allows the station to be staffed with two firefighters from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, the hours when the city’s volunteer firefighters typically are not available.
Eliminating the position will "directly affect the safety of the north end residents," said Kirk Galatas, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3482. "A two-minute response time is going to go to 10 minutes. This is just a step in the wrong direction."
Galatas said volunteer firefighters take just about as long as it does for firefighters from Station No. 3 to respond to the north end of Mukilteo, about 10 minutes.
Slashing away chunks of the upcoming budget became necessary after voters turned down an emergency medical services levy on Nov. 4, a move that’s forcing the city to find other ways to pay for the climbing cost of EMS service while revenues shrink.
"They’re very tough choices," said Mayor Don Doran. "This is going to be one of those agonizing budgets."
The list of possible cuts presented to the council a week ago is expected to be the topic of debate at tonight’s public hearing, Doran said. He said he hopes the council can come up with a list of cuts it agrees on tonight, leaving the council to make the final, toughest calls when it adopts the 2004 budget on Monday, Nov. 24.
The list of proposed cuts totals $686,500. The city is also looking at adding up to $700,000 by tapping its construction-related sales tax fund and raising property taxes.
Other proposals on the list include canceling the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival, raising rent for tenets at the Rosehill Community Center and stopping large item trash pickup. Several vacant city positions could also be eliminated.
Reporter Lukas Velush:
425-339-3449 or
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
