Mayor announces budget cuts

Spokane Mayor Jim West on Monday announced a series of midyear budget cuts that would eliminate some services but preserve core functions in city government.

Topping the list of cuts and saving $338,000 is elimination of the school resource officer program in which uniformed patrol officers are based at Spokane middle schools. Those six officers will be returned to vacancies in the patrol division, West said.

Full-time and half-time positions are being eliminated in arts, youth, records, human rights, fire operations, risk management, planning and city legal programs and a clerical pool.

In all, 28 positions are being cut from the budget, of which 10 were already vacant. That leaves a potential 18 layoffs, but city officials said they are seeking to transfer some of those workers to vacant positions elsewhere in city government. Some of the openings are in city utility departments, which are financed through utility rates and not affected by Monday’s announced cuts in tax-funded general services.

“This is just the beginning. The pain is not over,” West told City Council members.

Unveiling his budget plan during Monday’s City Council meeting, West said the city needs to close a $6 million revenue shortfall in the $123 million general fund this year. He is doing that with permanent reductions and a series of one-time measures intended to bolster revenue until more cuts can be accomplished at the start of 2005.

The administration is expected to submit budget changes to the council for a vote on Aug. 30. However, the mayor has the power to cut spending without council approval, officials have said previously. A tax increase was ruled out, partly because it could have meant raising the already high city utility tax, West said.

Money is being taken from several reserve accounts that have large balances, including $3 million from a vehicle replacement fund. West said the city will revise its financing method for new cars. The change frees up $700,000 for police services this year. “It’s a bookkeeping change,” the mayor said.

Even with the cuts, the mayor said he expects to end the year with a razor-thin $1.2 million cash carryover. The city also holds a $3.1 million budget reserve that West said he would touch only for an emergency or other one-time need.

Spokane’s budget problems stem from escalating labor costs, sluggish sales tax growth and miscalculation of last year’s cash carryover.

Some departments, most notably the Fire Department, are being asked to come up with additional cuts in 2005. In an interview, West said Fire Chief Bobby Williams is expected to reorganize fire services. Three positions being cut from the fire budget this year are already vacant.

Noticeably absent from the list of cuts was the city’s library system, which West said scored high in a prioritization of city services. However, libraries lost 15 positions in a round of budget cuts two years ago, officials said. The parks department and Park Board are working on a separate set of cuts, West said.

Fees charged for some engineering services, weights and measures and off-duty police officers would be increased if the plan passes. Some detectives would be returned to patrol to bolster the city’s on-street police presence, West said.

Top city officials spent the past seven weeks ranking various city services against a list of eight priorities, including a strong economy, safety, mobility, learning, leadership, health, environment and human services. The city received input from 1,000 residents, who gave safety the highest ranking followed by mobility, or transportation.

“This is a fundamental shift in the way we budget,” West said of the “priorities of government” effort.

The work led to a proposed transfer of three planning jobs to a newly organized economic development department.

Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers reminded the mayor that the dispute over the River Park Square parking garage continues to drain money from the budget through legal fees and an impoundment of parking meter revenue for paying off garage losses. West said settlement of the dispute would free up that money for city services.

Other council members complimented the mayor on his work. “The challenges the city is facing are challenges that weren’t created by your administration,” Councilman Al French told West in commending him.

Elimination of the school resource officer program had been anticipated because the 4-year-old program was initially implemented with grant money and had been temporarily eliminated during budget cuts in 2002. It was restored in 2003 with another grant.

Cuts in the street department will result in less de-icing service during the winter, as well as reductions in signs, signals and bridge maintenance. West said he wanted to preserve the existing pavement repair and street maintenance funds.