By Theresa Goffredo
Herald Writer
EVERETT — After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Mayor Ed Hansen was forced to do something he hasn’t done in eight years.
The mayor had to change his mind about how much the city can spend, and Hansen now is asking to take $2.8 million out of the city’s proposed $95.7 million budget before it is approved.
"Balancing the budget was not an easy task," Hansen said as he presented the 2002 proposed budget to the Everett City Council on Wednesday. "We were already responding to a slowing regional economy and reduced aircraft deliveries announced by Boeing. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 have caused many consequences, including significant economic impacts in our community."
Before the attacks, Hansen and his budget department came up with a general fund budget of $95.7 million. After the attacks, revenue projections for 2002 dropped to $92.9 million, falling $2.8 million. Last year’s budget was $91.8 million.
In keeping with past policy, Hansen told the council that he doesn’t want expenses to exceed revenues. With that, the mayor asked the council to amend the general fund downward to match expected revenues. So for the first time in his tenure, Hansen is asking that no new employees be hired.
"It could be a lot worse. A lot worse," said council member Dale Pope, chairman of the city’s budget committee, after Wednesday’s meeting. "We could be asking each department what person do you want to lay off."
So the good news this year might be that city leaders don’t expect to lay off anyone in 2002.
But because there won’t be any new employees, the city won’t be able to hire new police officers, falling below the city’s goal of two police officers for every 1,000 residents. New census data puts the city’s population at just under 96,000. With the current police force of 181 officers, Everett would need another 11 officers to achieve that ratio.
Pope is optimistic that more officers will be hired once the city revisits the revenue projections in March.
"The morale is very high and the mayor and council are working together to ensure that people have a safe place to live and work and play," Pope said.
A phone call to Sgt. Boyd Bryant, public information officer for the police department, was not returned Wednesday.
Hansen’s hold-the-line budget calls for belt-tightening in two areas. One is the city’s savings account, known as the capital improvement program. The second is the city’s street improvement budget.
For the city’s capital improvement program, Hansen recommended cutting back 3 percent of the general fund contribution, eliminating an estimated $2.8 million. The capital improvement fund has supported such projects as building the south Everett police precinct.
From the city’s street fund, the mayor suggested a 1.5 percent reduction to eliminate $26,687.
"A reduction to the street overlay program, I don’t like that," Pope said. "But it’s just for a one year time, and that’s OK. Everything is going to have to stretch."
You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097
or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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