Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon unveiled his proposed 2005 budget for county operations, saying he had filled an anticipated budget hole of $13.4 million next year by controlling county spending.
“This is tough medicine at a time when our county citizens and voters expect nothing less,” Reardon told an overflow crowd of county workers and others assembled on the just-opened public plaza at the county campus Thursday, Sept. 30.
“And with the passage of this budget, Snohomish County is back on track and in the black,” he added.
Reardon’s budget includes no increases for the county’s three property tax levies.
And while the executive’s spending plan also cuts 80 county government jobs, there will be a net gain of jobs because of the new county jail.
Snohomish County will have a total budget of about $549 million next year. The general fund, the pot of money that pays for parks, sheriff’s deputies and other basic services, will rise to $173 million, up from $169 million this year.
Reardon’s budget presentation comes after months of worry about the county’s financial future. The executive has repeatedly rung the warning bell about the county’s bottom line as the county has dipped into its reserve accounts to pay for ongoing operations. County finance officials have said the county faces deficits that could grow as large as $30.7 million by 2008 if spending continues to outpace revenue.
In his first budget speech as county executive, Reardon said he would cut 80 county positions in 14 of the county’s 21 departments.
But the employment picture in Snohomish County government is not so dire. The county will hire almost 70 people to run the expanded jail, and combined with other changes, the number of workers overall will actually grow by 29 full-time positions next year. All told, the county will have 2,749 full-time positions in 2005.
Also adding to a rosier budget picture is a just-signed contract with the state Department of Corrections that will pay almost $5 million a year to rent beds in the new jail.
Tax revenues have also jumped $4.6 million, meaning tax collections will surpass $108 million next year.
Reardon said earlier the major reason for the improved budget outlook was that county employees were controlling costs.
“We have put strong spending ceilings in place,” he said.
Under the proposed budget, law and justice programs will continue to consume the lion’s share of the general fund. Despite cutbacks in some departments, all of the sheriff’s departments 256 commissioned officer positions will be funded.
Reardon has proposed raising the “tipping fees” that garbage haulers pay when they drop off trash at county collection points from $89 a ton to $94 a ton. Reardon said the increase, if approved, would mean an average 41-cent monthly increase for county households.
The budget now goes to the County Council for review.
Council member Kirke Sievers said he was surprised that a tipping fee increase is on the table.
“Senior citizens are on a fixed income,” Sievers said. “Where does it stop?”
Council member Gary Nelson questioned Reardon’s reluctance to propose an increase in the road tax levy, a revenue stream that’s devoted to county roads.
“The executive must not have a priority of transportation if we’re now going to ignore that source of revenue,” Nelson said.
Reardon has suggested using real estate excise taxes for road improvements. But that funding will fall short of the money required, Nelson said.
“It doesn’t even come close,” he said.
Reardon’s budget speech left some unanswered questions.
“A little rhetoric, but not much detail,” said council Chair John Koster. “He said 14 of 21 departments would have reductions, but he didn’t say what departments.”
Brian Kelly is a reporter with The Herald in Everett.
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