Update: City announces midyear budget cuts

(We’ll continue to update this story through the afternoon as reaction comes in – scroll down)
ORIGINAL 10:46 AM REPORT: The City Council’s special Budget Committee meeting has just begun; this will be the first official word of what cuts will be made to make up for extra red ink in the current budget year; We’ll post as it happens. It’s being pointed out that these cuts do NOT require council approval. Note: The presentation is online, according to our friends at My Green Lakesee it here. We’re reading it now.

ONGOING COVERAGE: Budget boss Beth Goldberg‘s first announcement: In light of the Fremont fire that killed five over the weekend, NO reductions in the Fire Department.

From the budget document – wading pool effects: Lincoln Park remains open 7 days a week. (Goldberg is telling the council that the decision was based on keeping the most-used wading pools fully open. Other decisions, she says, were made based on “geographic equity.”)

Wading pools open 3 Days per week (in our area – there are other 3-day schedules around the city):
Delridge, EC Hughes, Hiawatha, South Park (Goldberg says the scheduling decisions were made based on the busiest day of the week and the days on each side of that day; as of this writing, the Parks website is not updated)

Highland Park wading pool remains closed (it’s set for conversion to a spray park; Goldberg is noting during the briefing that spray features are cheaper to operate than regular wading pools; she says the city’s total wading-pool budget is just under half a million dollars a year)

ALSO FROM PARKS: No community center/swimming pool closures this year, no lifeguard cuts. The description of cuts does not mention any program cuts, but does note a 5% reduction in maintenance (no elaboration yet)

LIBRARIES: Current hours will be maintained at all locations (but there are cuts, like $500,000 cut from the collection fund)

(added 11 am) POLICE: From the document linked above:

Leaves 21 new sworn officer positions related to the neighborhood policing program vacant, saving $2.1 million

(added 11:19 am) Goldberg says there are more SDOT cuts to come – “as we go deeper, the decisions get uglier.” The document linked above goes into detail about that department’s challenges.

11:56 AM: The meeting’s over. The mayor has a media availability at 12:15 to comment on the cuts.

12:19 PM: News releases are starting to come out with reaction to the cuts. We’ll publish the ones we get – starting with, after the jump, Councilmember Jean Godden, who says she’s concerned about the 21 police jobs that won’t be hired:

“I want to thank the Mayor and his staff for their thoughtful approach toward mid-year spending reductions. The Mayor has taken the appropriate steps to minimize the impact these decisions have on residents’ daily lives.

“I am concerned that the Mayor has slowed the hiring of police officers this year. We remain committed to working with him to implement the Neighborhood Policing Plan as soon as possible.

“I look forward to working with the Mayor this fall to provide necessary public services while making the tough choices required to pass a balanced budget. We must brace ourselves for the deep impacts of cuts likely in the 2011-2012 budget process.

“The council has received considerable and heartfelt input from residents. These comments and peoples’ commitment to a compassionate city inform our ongoing budget and economic development work.”

More to come.

14 Replies to "Update: City announces midyear budget cuts "

  • clark5080 June 14, 2010 (11:26 am)

    I wonder if there is a way to get a breakdown of the city budget to see how much goes for each department and then what each department funds

  • Christie June 14, 2010 (1:56 pm)

    Just Great – our wading pool in Highland park is not opening – AGAIN – when is the conversion to the Spray park going to happen?

    • WSB June 14, 2010 (2:27 pm)

      Christie, I am about to post a new item including the official wading-pool schedule. It promises 2011. As you may know, there is a pitch to get more funding for the project through the Parks and Green Spaces Levy Opportunity Fund – West Seattle proposals are pitching in a meeting tonight at Magnuson Park in the north end and I’m planning to be there. If that doesn’t go through, there is still money budgeted for a modest spray feature on the same “footprint” as the existing pool – TR

  • CMP June 14, 2010 (1:56 pm)

    Woo hoo, no pool cuts!! That’s a bummer about the wading pools, but it’s shaping up to be a cold summer anyway.

  • Ex-Westwood Resident June 14, 2010 (5:33 pm)

    The pool times being cut is very minor when compared to what else is being cut…POLICE. With the increase in crime in Seattle this mayor…McCheese2 wants to cut public safety.
    .
    Also didn’t we just pass a “parks” levi that was supposed to prevent things like this from happening? Where is all that money going? Maybe instead of creating NEW parks they should take care of the ones they have now!!!
    .
    But hey! It’s the Washington way. Hold public safety hostage by not funding it, then cry poverty as an excuse to raise taxes. This also happens with the education budget. While all the pet social programs get the funding they need.
    .
    Ask how much does the city gives to La Raza and any other organizations that support illegal aliens. How much is spent on “Sharrows” that last about 2 weeks then need to be replaced at added cost. Ask how much is spent to subsidize mass transit. Ask how much is spent on Public Art. Ask how much is being spent on the Seattle Music Commission (21 members).
    .
    THESE are the areas that need to be cut FIRST and funded LAST.
    .
    But not here.
    .
    Seattle, you elected these “taxocrats” to your city clowncil. Thank the Lord I don’t live in Seattle any more, but you also elected “taxocrat” Dow, and THAT does effect me.
    .
    WAKE UP!!! PLEASE USE YOUR VOTES WISELY OR SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY WILL END UP LIKE

  • WSHC June 14, 2010 (6:46 pm)

    Ex-Westwood: Someone DID ask how much was being spent on the Seattle Music Commission. The answer? $0. The Commission is self-sustaining and will be monitored/managed by existing City staffing.

  • Baba June 14, 2010 (6:58 pm)

    Don’t you be picking on Mc Mumbles, whenever this guy speaks it’s like Sienfeld or Frasier reruns for me. I have a right to be entertained!

  • george June 14, 2010 (9:26 pm)

    At least Robert Mak isn’t ripping Seattle off anymore.

  • amused June 15, 2010 (5:56 am)

    When the cops don’t show up at your door for 2-3 hours, remember, you voted him in office.

  • Ex-Westwood Resident June 15, 2010 (2:04 pm)

    WSHC,
    Why does Seattle need a music commission???
    If they can afford the staffers to manage this boondoggle of stupidity then they can afford to get rid of some fat and instead keep us safe by hiring more police officers

  • WSHC June 15, 2010 (4:11 pm)

    Ex-Westwood: If you’re that concerned, I suggest you research the commission yourself instead of using a mention in a neighborhood blog to form a catch-phrase opinion. The goals and directive of the commission are important to me, obviously, so I took the time to attend the 20 minute announcement and learned tons, both from the hand-outs and answers to questions from the room.

  • Mickymse June 15, 2010 (5:55 pm)

    Wait a sec there, folks… The Mayor’s not cutting 21 officers. They’re going to delay hiring NEW officers called for in the Neighborhood Policing Plan.
    .
    There’s a pretty big difference.
    .
    And the Plan specifically allows for the need to delay hirings if budget problems necessitate it.

  • Ex-Westwood Resident June 16, 2010 (7:54 am)

    Well WSHC if the people at The Seattle Weekly have no clue as to what this commission will do, I doubt you have a handle on it.

    Read about what they have to say on it here: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/06/mcginn_announces_seattle_music.php

    Sounds like another panel that will recommend spending city money on things a city has no business spending money on, IMO.

  • WSHC June 16, 2010 (9:28 am)

    Ex-Westwood: Research fail. Glad you’re no longer a Seattle voter. Best of luck in the ‘burbs.

Sorry, comment time is over.