EDMONDS — In a race against the clock, the Edmonds City Council passed next year’s $124 million budget in an emergency meeting Wednesday.
The council approved the budget 6-1. Council member Diane Buckshnis opposed.
In her final move on the council, Buckshnis, who is retiring after a failed run for mayor, said she could not support the budget, stating expenditures have “far exceeded” revenues.
“I believe you guys are going to be in pretty bad shape after you run out of ARPA money,” she said during the meeting. “Best of luck next year, but I’m going to vote no.”
The council met via Zoom to approve the budget just four days before the state-mandated deadline of Dec. 31.
There were disparities between the budget approved Wednesday and that put forth by Mayor Mike Nelson. The biggest was in the building maintenance fund, for expenses on city-owned buildings. The council halved the mayor’s recommended spending, only allocating about $1.1 million for that fund, while some of that money was moved to the general fund.
The city’s general fund makes up a little less than half the total budget. It will see about $836,000 more in expenses than revenues in 2024. In response, the council also approved a motion allowing them to pull up to about $6 million from city reserves to pay for general fund expenses.
City law requires the city to maintain a reserve fund amount equal to 16% of the general fund’s expenditures, which is about $8.3 million, according to the council’s approved budget.
Council member Will Chen acknowledged Buckshnis’ remarks, stating the council must be proactive in finding ways to increase revenue and decrease expenditures next year.
“But I’m very happy with what we have, so I’m going to vote yes,” Chen said.
In October, Buckshnis led a charge to declare a fiscal emergency, noting the city’s financial woes. But the council nixed that idea, instead raising property taxes 1% and requiring the city to establish a task force to work on replenishing the reserve funds.
Mayor Nelson, whose last day in office is this week, said Thursday he was disappointed by the council’s amended budget.
“Obviously I’m disappointed with them not approving the budget my administration proposed that would have addressed both the short-term revenue challenges, as well as the long-term revenue challenges,” he said. “They’re sort of kicking the can down the road. I think they didn’t want to make some of the hard decisions that need to be made.”
In November, Nelson lost his re-election bid to Mike Rosen, who will take oath on Saturday.
Council’s approved 2024 General Fund budget:
• Revenues: $51,056,792.
• Expenses: $51,892,793.
Mayor’s proposed 2024 General Fund budget:
• Revenues: $62,492,771.
• Expenses: $59,429,234.
Ashley Nash: 425-339-3037; ashley.nash@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @ash_nash00.
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