Snohomish slices its budget again

Published 11:13 pm Thursday, December 4, 2008

SNOHOMISH — Anemic sales tax revenues have forced the city to slash its budget before the new year even begins.

The City Council approved more than $252,000 in cuts to the 2009 budget this week, dropping the general fund to $7.2 million. That’s $2.6 million less than this year’s general budget.

It’s the sixth time the city has had to readjust next year’s budget. In total, the city has cut more than $600,000 from the 2009 general fund.

It might not be the last cut.

“This is probably the last of the low-hanging fruit,” city manager Larry Bauman said. “When we get beyond the kind of cuts we see here, it’s going to be difficult to find reductions without resorting to layoffs.”

The city’s budget woes stem back to a crummy economy. The city pays nearly half of its general-fund bills from its share of sales tax revenue. The general fund pays for basics such as city employee salaries, city vehicles, training, supplies and equipment.

The city is trying to avoid ­layoffs for full-time staff, but this round of cuts does include lost jobs for three temporary parks workers, a temporary maintenance worker and two city police cadets. A third unfilled police cadet position is frozen.

The three parks workers care for the annual flower baskets that hang along city streets. The council agreed to the cuts but the city is trying to come up with a way to keep the baskets blooming for the city’s 150th birthday next year.

Police cadets are students who assist officers and work the police station’s front counter in the evenings. They are paid $12 an hour and receive tuition reimbursement. In addition to giving the cadets a leg up on their careers, the program also serves as a recruitment tool for the department, said Police Chief John Turner. Several of his officers got their start as cadets.

Turner talked the city into keeping the cadets on until March. One of the cadets is an Iraq War veteran with a family.

“It’s going to be hard on both of them,” he said. “Both are outstanding young men.”

The cuts also include eliminating a contract with a specialist who helped domestic violence victims. Instead, Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County in Everett has agreed to perform that service for free.

The police department has already found other ways to save money, including putting more miles on patrol vehicles and juggling shifts to reduce overtime. An open officer position is frozen for the next three months.

“We’ve cut everything we have to cut,” Turner said.

Turner said he and his officers have observed an uptick in crime around town, just as the economy has soured.

“We know we’re in for tough times,” Turner said. “My read is it’s not going away anytime soon. We’re always looking for ways to do our jobs better and cheaper, but this is an uphill battle.”

The City Council also approved freezing open accountant and permit coordinator positions. The city also will eliminate cost-of-living adjustments for all employees who don’t belong to a union — that includes the city manager, the chief of police, managers, supervisors, technical staff and department heads. The move is projected to save $62,600.

Reporter Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com.