County Council Works on 2011 Budget

For the last few weeks the Snohomish County Council has been working on the 2011 budget. Throughout 2010 the County Council and county elected officials have engaged in preliminary budget discussions related to the county's fiscal health and the difficult options the county will face in 2011 and beyond.

"The actions the Council took in 2009 and 2010 to pass responsible budgets have left Snohomish County in a stronger financial position than other large jurisdictions like Seattle and King County," said Councilmember Dave Gossett. "We've worked closely all year with the other elected officials and are now in a position to adopt a sustainable budget that will not require a continual cycle of future budget cuts."

As the Council continues its review and analysis of the 2011 budget proposal ensuring adequate planning for the future has emerged as a recurring theme.

"For the past two years we have been focused on preserving critical services during the financial meltdown," said Gossett. "Now it's time to turn our attention to the long term capital shortfalls which will be even more challenging."

The 2011 budget lacks details regarding how transportation needs will be met in the future. The Council was told during recent briefings that the long term analysis for road funding shows a funding gap of about $263 million for transportation funding.

"An effective transportation system is the backbone of any economic development plan," Gossett noted. "We cannot hope to have such a system without a plan to pay for our essential road and transit projects."

The Council is considering the formation of a Transportation Benefit District as a first step in developing a long-term plan. A hearing is scheduled for November 17th at 10:30 am.

Providing for the long-term technology needs of the county is another area of the county budget that will receive extra attention. There are aging technology systems that need replacing in the near future that are not included in the proposed budget.

"We must be absolutely certain that when the time comes the County has the ability to replace systems that are essential to our ability to deliver services to the public" said Gossett.

The Council learned recently that the New World Communication System, a key part of E-911 emergency response, is seriously underfunded. This project replaces several aging, out-of-date systems with one integrated system throughout Snohomish County, allowing city and county police to work more efficiently together. When implemented, police and fire agencies throughout Snohomish County will have access to not only their own agency data and information but that of the other 57 agencies within the system. The prosecutor's office and courts will also have access. Another key system is Ascend/Proval which is needed for all property assessments and tax billings.

"These and other technology systems need literally millions of dollars in the next few years," said Gossett. "If we don't create a funding plan now the county will once again be making massive budget and service cuts in an atmosphere of crisis."

A third area of concern is on-going maintenance. There does not appear to be any firm funding in the proposed capital plan for essential items like roof replacement, HVAC systems, and other unavoidable maintenance.

"I plan on focusing this budget on these critical capital shortfalls," said Gossett. "We cannot solve them immediately but we can start to put in place long-term solutions."

Gossett will release his proposed budget on Monday, November 15. The hearing will take place Monday, November 22, at 10:30.