Web tool lets citizens battle budget

It’s part Pac-Man, part Tetris.

The city of Spokane Valley’s staff has created an interactive “budget calculator” that allows citizens to make cuts and boost revenues to balance the city’s finances. The tool, online at www.spokanevalley.org, was built to get citizens to answer two questions: what city services are most important to keep and at what levels? And what tax increases, if any, are people willing to pay to ensure that snow is plowed, the library stays open and police officers patrol the streets, among other services?

With the click of a mouse, citizens can gobble up costs like Pac-Man eats dots, and then they can put the big picture together, like the falling puzzle pieces in a game of Tetris.

“It’s kind of set up to be a reverse shopping cart,” said budget analyst Courtney Moore, who created the device.

“You’re going to start with a full basket. … Then we’ve given a list of options where you can cut service levels or cut programs to reduce those deficits. Or you can choose different revenue options as well.”

Then, citizens can e-mail their budget solution to the city or print it out and drop it off or put it in the regular mail.

“The citizens will be able to look at the reality of five years down the road,” Councilman Steve Taylor said.

“The same numbers they’re looking at are the same numbers that our staff is looking at.”

City Manager Dave Mercier led a demonstration of the calculator during last week’scouncil meeting. He called on audience members to suggest cuts and tax increases, and everyone watched as the deficit shrunk with each decision.

Someone cut library funding in half. Another person said ax the code-enforcement department. A councilman said to impose a 4 percent utility tax, but not on electricity.

When called on, Spokane Valley resident Evelyn Santesson said she didn’t want to cut a single police officer from the department.

“Those moves eliminated the deficit in 2006 and 2007, but we’ve got more work to do in 2008,” Mercier said, looking at figures projected on a screen. The first two years were in the black, but by 2008 the city would face a deficit despite those choices.

The city of Spokane also has a budget calculator on its Web site, www.spokanecity.org.

It works in the opposite direction, though, allowing citizens to say how much they want to spend on each service rather than how much they’re willing to cut.

Spokane Valley balanced its 2005 budget this fall with no major reductions in programs, services or staffing levels.

It also didn’t have to raise taxes, although a new business registration fee was imposed this year and annual stormwater fees will go from $10 a year to $17.

The staff has forecast a bleak financial future for 2006 and beyond, however.

Mercier estimates that revenues are growing only 1 to 1.5 percent a year while expenditures are climbing at an annual rate of 6 to 8 percent.

That will lead to a deficit of $14.5 million in 2010.

The council is considering up to a 6 percent utility tax to help close the gap.

Without more revenues, the city could face drastic cuts, such as reducing its police force by 86 percent.

The calculator is one way the staff hopes to learn what changes citizens are willing to make.

Councilman Richard Munson questioned one piece of the staff’s financial forecast, though.

He thinks projecting only 1 to 1.5 percent growth in sales tax receipts each year is too low.

“Frankly, this exercise is at best discouraging using the numbers we’ve played with,” he said.

“It’s going to cause the community to make some questions we have to answer.”

He added, “This is pretty grim. This is more than grim. It’s bordering on ‘Geez, this is awful.’ “

The council talked about tinkering with the calculator and boosting the sales tax projections, but decided to stick with the staff’s original numbers.