Council OKs ‘easy’ budget

To hear the Mill Creek City Council tell it, this year’s months-long process of preparing the next two-year budget was, well, easy.

And nearly every Council member chimed in on why they felt that was the case.

Tuesday’s unanimous vote to approve the 2007-08 operating budget was preceded by comments from Council members, nearly all of which were glowing reviews of city staff.

“I think this was the easiest, best organized budget discussion I’ve been through in my 11 years on Council,” Councilman Dale Hensley said.

The new two-year budget of $35,628,947 maintains all current city services and includes staff increases for the police department, building inspection, and to conduct a study of traffic noise along Seattle Hill Road.

“It made it a lot easier because of our fiscal tightness in past years, we weren’t wrangling over $50,000 here and $50,000 there,” Mayor Pro-tem Terry Ryan said.

The new budget will allow the police department to hire a commander, detective, investigative specialist and patrol officer. The positions will help put more officers on the street and ease the workloads of several department members, police chief Bob Crannell said.

If revenues and expenses follow the proposed budget, the city’s reserve fund will increase by almost $2 million over the next two years.

“It’s more than adequate,” finance director Joanne Gregory said about the reserve fund. Gregory also called the Council’s budget review “the most comprehensive review since I’ve been here.”

The reserve fund is increasing even though the city will not increase property or emergency medical services taxes next year. Rising property values are ensuring that even with no tax increases, the city will still receive the same revenue it’s receiving this year, Gregory said.