Mukilteo City Council makes budget cuts

MUKILTEO — A tight economy and increasing costs have left the city $310,000 short of balancing its 2003 budget.

To make ends meet, the Mukilteo City Council found the money it needed by cutting several budgets and by voting to raise rent rates at the Rosehill Community Center by 10 percent.

The council agreed on how it would make up the shortfall at a public hearing on Monday, but it won’t officially adopt the budget until its Dec. 2 meeting.

"It was definitely a patchwork of different sources," said Cathy Reese, Mukilteo’s council president. "We didn’t raise taxes. I think we did the best we can for the people of Mukilteo."

The council plans to get the $310,000 from the following sources:

$78,000: A projected surplus in revenue from the 2003 budget.

$66,000: A 50 percent reduction in the vehicle replacement fund.

$51,000: Redirecting money from the municipal facilities fund.

$46,000: Surplus money from the 2002 budget.

$18,000: Money saved from not filling the vacant finance director position.

$17,000: A 30 percent reduction in the city training budget.

$10,000: A reduction in the community promotion budget.

$10,000: Elimination of the civil service examiner’s position. The duties of this contract employee’s position will be reassigned to a city employee.

$7,000: Reduction in the city’s newsletter fund.

$5,000: Increasing Rosehill Community Center rent rates by 10 percent.

$2,000: Reduction in the city supplies budget.