Council approves 2012 spending plan

Parking violators won’t be digging deeper to help balance Spokane’s budget.

The Spokane City Council on Monday approved its 2012 spending plan largely as proposed by outgoing Mayor Mary Verner, relying on a 1 percent growth in property tax collections but dismissing other proposed tax and fee increases to close a projected $8 million deficit.

Spokane City Council President Joe Shogan had suggested raising parking tickets from $15 to $25, but the proposal had little support from other council members, many of whom argued that if the fine for downtown parking violations is raised, the money should be used on downtown projects or parking, not on other city programs.

Without the raised fees, the council used Verner’s template with only a few variations. The final budget, which was approved on a 5-2 vote, totals about $784 million, including about $164 million in the general fund. That’s the portion of government spending over which council members have the greatest discretion and includes police, fire, parks and library services. Council members Bob Apple and Nancy McLaughlin cast the dissenting votes.

Steps the city took to close the gap include transferring money from a city insurance account that Verner said was funded at a level that allows some money to be transferred for other uses. But McLaughlin questioned the use of “one-time” money to balance the budget.

The council took $65,000 from $100,000 in excess property taxes that administrators were unaware of when they proposed the budget and used it to maintain the city’s Weights and Measures program at its current level. The extra money enabled the withdrawal of a proposal to charge new fees to retail establishments with price scanners.

The one-man program annually checks the city’s scales, fuel pumps and taxi meters to ensure businesses are charging consumers the proper amount. If the city got rid of the program, the state would perform the service, but at much less frequent intervals.

The council also opted against Verner’s original recommendation to cut $30,000 from the Art Department.

The Youth Department didn’t fare as well. The council added only $4,000 on top of the $50,000 Verner recommended for the Youth Department. The department’s budget will decline by about $120,000. Verner hopes to contract with a nonprofit to perform the service.