A $1.6 million shortfall forecast for Kennewick's 2009-10 general fund budget of $80 million is expected to mean layoffs at city hall by year's end.
Marie Mosely, director of support services, reported on the bleak economic outlook during the city council's budget committee meeting Monday.
Eight city staffers attended, but Steve Young was the only council member on the panel who was there. Bob Olson and Mayor Tom Moak could not attend.
Mosely said the income problem was "not really a deficit," but a "reduction due to not achieving the $2 million reserves."
Kennewick already has cut about 20 employees through attrition in the past few years, City Manager Bob Hammond recently told the council.
He also noted in a memo to the council that he may recommend not having the annual boards and commissions banquet, which cost $4,600 last year, and delay the annual fall employee appreciation luncheon.
Hammond also mentioned technology improvements at the one-stop customer service counter in city hall probably will delayed.
The cash flow is so slow that city staff cautioned at a council workshop last week about the city contributing $7,000 for a $50,000 Tri-Cities Rivershore Enhancement Council beautification master plan update.
Mosley said city sales tax revenue is down for the year but showed a slight gain in August and September over 2008. Still, she expects 2009 sales taxes for the city to fall about 3.5 percent below 2008.
-- John Trumbo: 582-1529; jtrumbo@tricityherald.com
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Tough questions valued
Tough questions valued
Cynthia Shaw (Mid-Columbia Voices, Aug. 14) and I both want to see the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center built. That is why I joined the Reach Board a year ago. However, Shaw believes that questions about the success of the Reach from the Richland City Council are inappropriate because of the deft guidance of CEO Kimberly Camp and the success of museums in other locales.
The Reach has not been on a straight path forward over many years. It now seems to be moving ahead in west Columbia Park, with another $15 million still to be raised. As the ultimate guarantor of the Reach, the city council should be asking important questions. When I was a councilman in a neighboring community for a dozen years, I didn't always ask the tough questions related to projects I cared about most and took for granted that projects would be successful because of the people involved or the projects in question.
I am now an ex-councilman who has learned some valuable lessons. Bravo to those members of the city council and the
Tough questions valued
Tough questions valued
Cynthia Shaw (Mid-Columbia Voices, Aug. 14) and I want to see the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center built. That is why I joined the Reach Board a year ago. However, Shaw believes that questions about the success of the Reach from the Richland City Council are inappropriate because of the deft guidance of CEO Kimberly Camp and the
success of museums in other locales.
The Reach has not been on a straight path forward over many years. It now seems to be moving ahead in west Columbia Park, with another $15 million still to be raised. As the ultimate guarantor of the Reach, the city council should be asking important questions. When I was a councilman in a neighboring community for a dozen years, I didn't always ask the tough questions related to projects I cared about most and took for granted that projects would be successful because of the people involved or the projects in question.
I am now an ex-councilman who has learned some valuable lessons. Bravo to those members of the city council and the community
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