Gossett Looks At 2013 Budget Issues
While Executive Aaron Reardon will not present his 2013 budget to the Council until September 28th Councilmembers are already shifting focus to next year's budget.
"We passed the motion establishing the budget committees this week," said Councilmember Dave Gossett. "The Council has also identified dates for the public forum and public hearings."
The Council will hold a public forum on October 9th at 6:30 pm on the first floor of the Drewel Building at the county campus in Everett. Budget hearings will take place on October 31st at 10:30 am and 6:00 pm. Both hearings will take place on the eighth floor of the Drewel Building.
"It is impossible to know for sure what all the budget issues will be prior to receiving the Executive's budget," commented Gossett. "But four major areas are almost certain to be up for discussion: the use of the mental health/chemical dependency funds, the attrition management system, the need for major capital investments, and transportation."
The Council adopted the .1% sales tax for mental health/chemical dependency (MH/CD) programs in late 2008. At the time state law required, and the Council promised, that the new dollars would only be used for new programs and not be used to shift existing MH/CD dollars to other purposes. Then the recession hit.
In 2009, the State Legislature allowed up to 50% of the MH/CD revenue to be used for "supplanting" as a temporary reaction to the recession. "Supplanting" is when a program that was previously funded by other dollars becomes funded by the MH/CD dollars instead. The amount allowed for supplanting was to be decreased by 10% a year with all supplantation ending by 2015.
In 2011 the Legislature again amended the law, allowing supplantation to continue until 2017 and redefining "previously funded" programs to increase the amount of diversion from the MH/CD fund.
"This was a major issue the Council had with the Executive's budget in 2012," said Gossett. "I strongly believe we need to keep faith with the citizens of this county and stop balancing our budget on the backs of the mentally ill. We need to work to keep to the same definitions and same schedule to end supplantation as adopted by this Council in 2010."
The "attrition management" system is also likely to be discussed. Since the beginning of the recession the county has made major cuts in services and the number of employees. Nearly 400 jobs have been eliminated. There is no plan to restore those positions.
"These cuts are viewed as the new normal," said Gossett.
In addition to these long-term budget cuts, the county has used "attrition management" as a short-term strategy to get through the last few difficult years. Each department has been required to not spend 2.5% of their salaries and benefits budget. This is usually done by leaving positions unfilled when employees leave their job. Additionally, each department is supposed to not spend another 1% of their budget.
"This was originally intended to be a short-term fix," said Gossett. "But now the budget plan shows it continuing without end. It is not sustainable in the long-term."
"Attrition management" has very real impacts on the services citizens receive. The Prosecutor cannot file charges in a timely manner. The Sheriff is currently maintaining 27 vacancies.
"Attrition management particularly causes problems in the jail," noted Gossett. "We have legal and safety requirements that require a certain level of staff. With vacant positions, the jail uses overtime. It may actually cost taxpayers more to keep the positions vacant than to fill them."
Gossett indicated he expected finding ways to reduce or end the attrition management system to be one of the major budget issues this year.
As in past recessions, one of the key areas where spending has been slashed is capital projects. After delaying needed projects for years problems are getting increasingly critical. Capital needs range from failing building heating and cooling systems, to a new/remodeled courthouse, to Sheriff precinct space, to crucial software systems.
"We desperately need a software system for the Prosecutor/Courts/Clerk," said Gossett. "Not only is the current system in danger of collapsing, threatening our ability to prosecute criminals, but a newer system would allow more efficiency."
The need for a new/remodeled courthouse is also well documented. Space is inadequate, facilities are antiquated, and there are serious safety issues. Unlike in modern courthouses violent criminals are brought through the same halls where victims and their families wait.
"Financial constraints will likely keep us from fully solving the courthouse and other capital problems," said Gossett. "But we need to identify a strategy for long-term solutions."
Transportation is the other major issue Gossett sees being a focus during the budget deliberations.
"Nothing is more important for creating jobs than a strong, functioning transportation system. Businesses need to know that their employees can get to work, their customers can reach their business, and their products can be shipped dependably," said Gossett. "Without that certainty they will look for other counties to locate and expand their business."
The county road fund faces two major funding shortfalls. The first is related to the Growth Management Act and its requirement to build the necessary roads to support future growth.
When the 2005 Comprehensive Plan was adopted it included a list of projects which were identified by the Public Works and Planning Departments as necessary to support the planned growth. It is now clear that the county is $263 million short of the funds necessary to build the projects promised to Snohomish County citizens.
"The shortfall means that without action 2/3's of the promised projects will not be constructed," said Gossett. "This means more congestion for our citizens. If we cannot build the projects we ourselves identified as necessary to support the land use plan we will have to make major, and costly, changes to our land use plan."
Additionally, last year's budget identified other major funding problems in the roads budget. Maintenance was significantly cut. 1/3 of the projects that had been shown in the 2011-2016 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) were eliminated from the 2012-2017 TIP due to lack of funding.
"These were projects that are vital to making our transportation system work safely and efficiently," said Gossett. "We need a plan that will allow businesses and citizens to feel certain that these problems will be addressed."
Gossett noted he expects the 2013 budget process to be especially challenging.
"I encourage citizens to take part by attending the forum and hearings."
2013 Budget Forum
Tuesday, October 9 - 6:30pm
1st Floor - Robert Drewel Building
3000 Rockefeller, Everett WA 98201
