SHORELINE — With the overwhelming endorsement of I-776 by voters earlier this month to lower vehicle license tab fees to $30, Shoreline residents will likely see a direct impact: snow and ice won’t be cleared as quickly on city streets this winter, and sidewalk work and street maintenance will be scaled back.
The passage of the initiative on Nov. 5 takes about $500,000 or 30 percent of revenues away from the city’s street fund, which annually receives about $1.4 million in revenues to a $2.9 million budget and has 300 miles of streets to maintain in Shoreline. Over the next six years, the city will lose about $3.1 million.
In response, the city will have to cut back its street services to make up the loss, said city manager Steve Burkett.
The city will be cutting back its street sweeping, ice and snow clearing, tree planting and curb and shoulder paving by reducing operating costs by $185,000. The city will also reduce the $700,000 budget it has for resurfacing streets by $200,000 so streets won’t be resurfaced as timely or often. The city is also cutting in half the budgets it set aside for its sidewalk, curb repair and ramp building programs.
The city council discussed taking a one-time dip into reserves so the city would not have to cut $200,000 from its overlay budget. But the council decided because there is a chance the initiative could be found unconstitutional, and if it not, the impact will be recurring each year rather than a one-time only expense, to do so would not be a wise decision.
“My feeling is that I strongly believe government should spend tax money on what people are taxed on. If people reduce the road money, we should reduce road services,” said council member Ron Hansen.
The city council plans to adopt the 2003 budget at the Nov. 25 meeting.
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