EVERETT — A new proposal for Snohomish County’s 2011 budget could save at least two sheriff’s deputies from layoffs and preserve a contract with a south county animal shelter.
Despite saving some services from the chopping block, County Council Chairman Dave Gossett said the plan he released Monday makes only minor changes to the budget County Executive Aaron Reardon recommended earlier this fall.
That stands in contrast with last year, when the council and the executive staked out vastly different positions on issues such as the number of furlough days county employees should take.
“We’re talking about some relatively minor issues and some clean-up accounting,” Gossett said.
Or, as Councilman John Koster put it: “There’s not a lot of sand in the box to move around.”
Now, it’s up to the full County Council to vote on Gossett’s proposals next week and to send them to Reardon for his signature or veto. A hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday at the county campus in downtown Everett.
Gossett is suggesting an operating budget of about $203.7 million. His budget includes updated revenue estimates that were not available to the executive’s staff for its budget proposal. There’s also about $900,000 in new revenues at the county jail from contracts and medical reimbursements.
Gossett’s proposal also raises $400,000 through a gambling tax increase to pay for two deputies during the second half of 2011.
“They have effectively saved two positions right now,” Sheriff John Lovick said.
Under Reardon’s budget, Lovick had been looking at laying off up to 10 deputies and eliminating 27 vacant positions.
Some of the increase in the gambling tax also would pay for a new communications and reporting system for deputies.
The proposal would affect three card rooms in unincorporated Snohomish County, said Vicki McCormick, a property-management supervisor at the county treasurer’s office.
It would not apply to bingo, pull tabs or punch boards. The card room tax would rise to 15 percent from the current 10 percent. The maximum allowed under state law is 20 percent.
Gossett’s proposal also restores $40,000 to allow the auditor’s office to continue for another year its contract with the Progressive Animal Welfare Society, or PAWS, animal shelter in Lynnwood. Auditor Carolyn Weikel had considered ending the contract and moving all animal-control functions to Everett’s animal shelter, meaning that PAWS would have been unable to accept strays from unincorporated areas.
Gossett’s budget also adds a deputy prosecutor dedicated to identity-theft cases and an employee in the clerk’s office to help victims collect restitution. There’s also funding for technology upgrades at the treasurer’s and assessor’s office.
Reardon’s office had a generally positive reaction to Gossett’s budget.
“We’re pleased the council chair’s budget reflects many of the priorities we set out to achieve in 2011 without new property taxes or unsustainable spending,” Deputy Executive Gary Haakenson said.
The executive’s office is concerned, however, about a $670,000 cut to a home-visit nursing program for first-time mothers that serves about 140 families.
The partnership’s services “are proven to promote the health and safety of infants” while the cuts “do nothing to help the county’s bottom line,” Haakenson said.
“We look forward to working with the council to resolve this outstanding issue,” he said.
Other members of the council are likely to draft amendments that could change the shape of Gossett’s budget.
Councilman Brian Sullivan has proposed raising the county’s general property tax by 1 percent in 2011. Sullivan wants to use an estimated $700,000 from the increase to pay for core government services. He said under the formula used to calculate property taxes, the increase would cost the owner of a $300,000 house $2.69 a year.
“The idea is to try to save public-safety jobs, like sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors,” Sullivan said. “If I can get the votes, I’d even be willing to put a sunset on it.”
The last time the county increased its general property tax by 1 percent was in tax year 2003. That increase was rolled back in tax year 2008.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Budget hearing
The Snohomish County Council has scheduled a hearing on the proposed 2011 budget at 10:30 a.m. Monday on the eighth floor of the county administration building east on 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett. After passing a budget, the council will send it back to County Executive Aaron Reardon for a signature or veto.
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