With department heads sitting front row to give her their show of support, Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisigner proposed a 2009 budget with a 5.6 percent increase to the City Council and audience members.
“My 2009 budget is based on the values and goals held by the Issaquah community,” Frisinger said. “Sustainability, efficiencies in government, public safety, improved transportation, smart growth and environmental excellence.”
With the economy in a tailspin, the new budget aims to lessen the pain Issaquah might feel.
“Downturns are not new,” Frisinger said. “There have been numerous times throughout its history when the city successfully dealt with similar hurdles. And, as before, we are ready to respond with appropriate, aggressive action.”
The budget is proposed at $32.86 million, an overall increase of 5.6 percent from 2008.
However, city officials are ready to cut the budget if needed.
“The administration stands prepared to take action to lower expenditures during the 2009 fiscal year if the proposed 2009 revenues begin falling below forecasted amounts,” Frisinger said.
City expenditures
The city will start the year with about $7.4 million in the general fund, roughly 22 percent of the total budgeted expenditures in 2009. The general fund is projected to have about the same amount at the end of the year as at the beginning.
“The 22 percent is well above the 7 to 10 percent goal set by the City Council,” Frisinger said.
The biggest chunk of the budget is taken up by the Police Department, at 23.4 percent of the entire budget. Parks is second-highest at 17 percent.
Some of the new additions to the budget include:
• Implementing e-ticket and e-traffic accident reporting systems which will eliminate the duplication of data entry for tickets by the court and police department.
• The development of evacuations and pet-sheltering plans.
• A new probation officer.
• A new E-911 IT/GIS position in the police department.
• Improvements to the intersection of Southeast 56th and 221st Place Southeast.
• Money for Complete Streets, I-90 Undercrossing, and improvements to Northwest Dogwood Street.
• A proposal by the mayor to have 5 percent of all sales tax revenues go into the Street Fund.
Municipal courts costs are projected to increase, from the 2008 budgeted amount of $503,117 to $751,240. This is due partly to the additional staff position that will be added. The actual expenditures for 2008 were about $10,000 lower than the budgeted amount, at $493,600. The expenditures are well under the revenue amounts the department brings in. In 2009, the Municipal Court is estimated to bring in about $1.1 million.
This is the opposite of the Parks Department, which brings just over $2 million a year in revenue, and is budgeted to spend $7.5 million in 2009.
Projected revenues
Most of the city’s revenue comes from sales tax collection. In 2009 it is estimated that sales taxes will bring in $9.18 million, nearly 28 percent of the total budget.
Property taxes bring in another 20 percent of the budget, at $6.65 million.
Slated to go up 1 percent in 2009, property taxes will increase an estimated $62,265. The money will be put into building up the reserves in the Debt Service Fund.
At the end of this year, there will still be $10.7 million of voted-in debt and $20.5 million in non-voted debt.
The City Council will spend the next few weeks going over the budget. They have meetings scheduled on Oct. 7, 15 and 16, all starting at 6 p.m. with various groups including city departments, F.I.S.H., Issaquah Chamber of Commerce and Village Theatre. The first two meetings will take place in the Cougar Room in City Hall, while the Oct. 16 meeting will take place in the Eagle Room.
On Oct. 22 and 23, the council will begin to deliberate in meetings at 6 p.m. in the Cougar Room. On Monday, Nov. 3 during the City Council meeting there will be a public hearing on property taxes.
The council will again go into deliberations on Nov. 6, before having its final public hearing on Dec 1. Adoption is expected at the Dec. 15 meeting.
