Mayor Haakenson has once again displayed his high level of arrogance when he told the Edmonds City Council his only solution for the budget crisis is to transfer the Fire Department to the county. This would benefit the city’s budget by $4 million, but add $4 million plus to the taxpayer’s bill along with the now permanent port, hospital and library. And it would leave the citizens with the unknown yet strong possibilities that fire and aid protection to our graying community would be diminished from the present level. He refuses to provide an alternative spending cut to the city, and callously told Councilperson Dawson and the whole council the entire problem is in “their court.”
Does this make good sense: A single ultimatum by the mayor to do it his way, period? The mayor is by law clearly responsible for the administration of the city, has hundreds of staff to do so, and instead tells the part-time council they are responsible to dig up the details of everyday operation. At the recent budget hearing, the staff was less than helpful in providing needed information to the council. Was this not further evidence of the mayor’s manipulative bully, bully tactics? In my 38 years in Edmonds, I have never witnessed a poorer, less informative budget presentation by the staff.
If our bull-headed mayor remains uncooperative, the council should then examine and decide between their two unpleasant choices: the mayor’s uninviting solution, and something like 20 percent cuts across the board with only 10 percent cuts for police and fire departments. What will be the best for Edmonds and its citizens, even more senseless permanent tax increases or “biting the bullet” now?
Ray Martin
Edmonds
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