Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel says the county will lose $3.2 million next year in general-fund revenues from a proposed $151.6 million general-fund budget for next year. Snohomish County has a total budget of $587.1 million.

Drewel says that there will be cuts in all departments totaling $2.1 million and expects to raise $1.28 million from additional revenues expected to be generated next year.

What the County Executive does not propose cutting is his budget, that includes new spending of $2.4 million for quality-communities to build parks, trails and sidewalks.

Also here in Richland, the City Manager Ron Rausays that the city will have to raise property taxes 4.5%. This will allow the city to pay for employee salary increases that have increased faster then inflation. The average managers pay increased by 28% this year. Yet the city has told its employees (the people doing the work) that there was not enough funds for a COLA two years ago.

Then the city came out with a pay study (Buck Study) showing that the managers and supervisors were under paid and the rest of us were over paid. So the rest of us not only did not get another COLA this year (99) but their pay was frozen.

But the city also says that with the proposed 4.5% increase that there will still be a short fall in the citys budget.

The city must of forgotten about the $2.5 million that they intend to spend on the Parkway Parking Lot.

You can read both stories at the following sites:

http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/cuts_19991109.html

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/1999/1109.html#anchor596920

Ed  thank GOD I dont live in any of these cities.

-- Ed (ed_bridges@yahoo.com), November 09, 1999

Answers

Now is the time to see the rocks as the water receedes in the pond. The politians either will have to do the job they were elected to do , or get out and get someone else to make it happen. Since business has been doing this for years, it is time for the politations to do the same thing. Put up or shut up! No more free lunch! Remember it is always easy to make decisions as you swim in a pool of money.

-- GMertzanis (gmertzanis@hotmail.com), November 09, 1999.

I agree! The politicians have pushed us into a position to demand they do better. Those who are saying they can't manage the money any better should quit and let us vote in someone who can. Their scare tactics are disgusting. Wasn't we warned, "when the politicians find they can vote themselves money, there will be no money." Maybe it's time for a "freeze" in pay increases for them until further notice.

-- Sharon Ware (ware99@wa.freei.net), November 09, 1999.

Bunk!! Don't believe the rhetoric, fear tactics, and dire consequences that local and state politicians will now hoist on you. With the exception of a few small local governments; The only adjustments that will need to be made are to: stop the spending increases; reduce non-essential functions; layoff some government employees. Anyone who feeds you the story that costs are rising needs only to look at the consumer price index, (inflation index), to see that there is no justification.

-- Richard Henderson (grassroots3@earthlink.net), November 10, 1999.