Peninsula Daily News
and The Associated Press
The mayors of Sequim and Forks are among the 115 city leaders who have signed a letter protesting Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget-cutting proposals.
Calling proposed cuts “intolerable,” the letter sent Wednesday by the Association of Washington Cities and signed by mayors from across the state, calls for Olympia to lessen the impact of a $2 billion budget shortfall on cities and towns.
Sequim Mayor Ken Hays said he is concerned about a proposal to eliminate cities’ share of liquor tax revenues.
He said that would amount to a $75,000 loss for the city next year.
“It’s a small number compared to our whole budget, but it’s a big number to have to suddenly deal with,” Hays said.
More dialogue
Forks Mayor Bryon Monohon said he signed the letter because he thinks there needs to be more of a dialogue between cities and the state in regard to the budget.
“Cutting and dumping doesn’t work for us,” he said.
Monohon said the city would lose roughly $40,000 in liquor tax revenue.
“It makes it incredibly difficult,” he said. “We’re already pinching pennies
as it is.”
Gregoire said she agrees with the mayors over their views of the cuts.
“I find my budget proposal intolerable as well, but everybody is going to have to share in the sacrifice,” she said.
Her recent proposal includes more cuts to higher education, eliminating the state’s health care program for the poor and reducing help to poor school districts.
Lawmakers are returning later this month for a special session on the budget, and some Democrats have talked about seeking a tax package to help offset some of the cuts.
Gregoire traveled to Bellingham on Thursday to discuss the budget situation further, continuing a series of statewide stops to explain her decisions and hear from the public.
Tried hard
She said in a phone interview that she tried hard each of the last three years to refrain from taking money from local governments, knowing they’ve been under their own budget pressure.
But she said she is mindful of proposed budget cuts to health care and education, among other things, and had to look at every potential resource.
Gregoire said others are talking about cutting even more than she has proposed from local governments.
“None of the cuts I put forward are cuts I support,” the governor said. “They are a matter of necessity.”
