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Budget numbers have official fuming

Lynnwood councilman calls the possibility of more budget cuts a ‘disaster’

By Mina Williams
Enterprise Editor

LYNNWOOD

News that the city faces the prospect of multi-million budget cuts has City Council members fuming. Some accuse Mayor Don Gough, re-elected Nov. 3, of underplaying the severity of the city’s money challenges.

Nov. 9 Gough and Finance Director John Moir told council that the previously announced $3.2 million across-the-board cuts won’t be enough. Gough asked city staff to slash $6.2 million in operations.

At the Nov. 23 council meeting Moir fingered the eye of the city’s budget storm as a $3.5 million drop in sales tax revenue, projecting a total of $8.2 million in lost revenues. Operating funds hold the potential to backfill the shortfall, possibly netting $6.2 million, he said.

“I am very distraught about this,” said Councilman Jim Smith, who lost his bid to unseat Gough. “I’m concerned that we don’t have a good plan; we have a disaster here.”

“I’m more than deeply troubled by the process by which we arrived at this point,” said Councilman Mark Smith. “After we solve the problem, there needs to be a forensic analysis of how we got here and why so much of this seems to be a surprise to the council.”

So far the city has stemmed layoffs and furloughs With another request for cuts, that possibility was the impetus for the packed house at the Nov. 23 council meeting.

“We have been lean for years, doing more with the same staff,” said Jason Turner, vice president of firefighters local 1984. “We cannot move backwards. Reducing staff would decrease safety and service.”

Previous budget cuts have been made without reducing officers, said Mark Brinkman of the police officers’ Guild. “The public should be aware of how money is being spent. We urge the council to use common sense,” he said. “Stop the blame games with the council and mayor.”

Lynnwood deputy police chief Bryan Stanifer stated that equal cuts across departments to “spread the pain around is politically motivated. He urged the council to “be strong for your employees and for the citizens.”

Municipal judge Stephen Moore spoke on the court’s ability to take further hits to their budget. “We have reduced jail costs by more than half,” he said referring to the court’s shoring up of sentencing, increasing alternative sentencing and deflating the number of defendants on probation that netted saving $800,000. “The only thing left to cut is personnel,” said Moore.

“We have a $6.2 million hole to fill,” said Smith. “We don’t build widgets and we don’t sell widgets. We provide services. Layoffs and furloughs go against that.”

Gough denied underplaying the severity of the budget shortfall, saying he and his staff regularly update council.

Councilman Ted Hikel said complaints are sour grapes from unsuccessful political candidates.

“The sooner they get over it the better it will be for the citizens. We’ll be able to move on and perform policy for our city, not micromanage the administration.”

Herald reporter Oscar Halpert contributed to this report.