PORT TOWNSEND — While City Manager David Timmons presented the Port Townsend City Council with what he called an almost “crystal copy” of last year’s budget, he reminded them that the proposed 2010 budget for the city could still change.
“The budget is a living document,” Timmons said. “It’s not cast in stone.”
The proposed budget for 2010 shows the city’s general fund building on its reserve balance by $125,671.
The estimates for the upcoming year show revenue of $6,534,659 and expenditures of $6,408,988 in the general fund.
The proposed budget makes no cuts to services or personnel and shows a balance across all operating, capital, debt and trust fund totals of $11,528,191 by the end of 2010.
The number is down from an estimated $15,573,939 fund balance that is expected at the end of 2009. A large portion of that change is in the expenditure of a 2008 bond for construction projects throughout the city.
The budget also makes steps in repaying outstanding interfund loans — a process Timmons said he hopes to accomplish in the next few years.
The City Council approved the first reading of the budget unanimously.
The budget will return for a second reading in December.
Staffing increase
Timmons said that city staffing had been increased during the 2009 budget with three new parks employees and noted that the 2010 budget looks to add an assistant city attorney to aid with case management.
“It’s our hope that with an in-house prosecutor we can get more involvement with case management,” Timmons said.
“That represents a lot of our costs [we share] with the county.
“If we do a better job of case management, we can maybe reduce our costs.”
Timmons’ narrative of the issues in the budgets show a strain on the general fund because of county contracts for services such as the jail, courts, animal services and drug and alcohol prevention programs.
“Those are issues we’re going to have to struggle with,” Timmons said, noting that the jail and courts costs were not something they could replace.
Increased costs for services
“We’re seeing increased costs for [services] but reduced service as the county struggles [with their budget].
“Also with the [proposed] county park closures within the city at Memorial Field and North Beach, we now are left looking at how to keep those open.”
Any parks costs would affect the community development fund in the 2010 budget.
Also of note, Timmons said, was that several community nonprofit providers had requested budget support.
Timmons said the current budget does not increase any funding to local partners, but that the council may look at potentially changing that in a second reading.
“Those amounts were enhanced from 2008 to 2009,” Timmons said. “But they are only being sustained into 2010 with nothing new for funding.
“For example, Main Street Program has requested funding to hold a conference in the city and Big Brothers Big Sisters are facing a serious situation.
“The finance committee has requested we take a look at our budget and see what our choices and options are in regard to this.
“It’s an ongoing situation and we will be bringing it back to you.”
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
