Does the 2018 Pasco budget affect you? City Council wants input

The Pasco City Council wants input from its residents on the 2018 preliminary budget.

A public hearing will be held during Monday night’s council meeting, and again on Nov. 20 before the budget is approved.

The proposed budget includes a number of important changes, including: the restoration of Peanuts Park, the Lewis Street overpass, Oregon Avenue changes, a new fire station and the relocation of another, the Pasco Boat Basin and an animal shelter facility.

Property owners also are looking at a significant reduction in their general tax levy rate from $1.880 per $1,000 assessed value in 2017, to $1.765 in 2018. This is due to new construction, an increased assessed valuation and private investment.

“The preliminary budget proposal as presented seeks to satisfy or make significant progress toward the city council’s adopted goals for 2016-17 by providing for the implementation of important policy decisions made by the city council through the process of prioritization, recognition and implementation of efficiencies,” City Manager Dave Zabell said in his 2018 budget message.

“As with the prior year, this proposal attempts to maximize value through the efficient provision of services while minimizing the level of taxes, rates and fees paid by the citizens of Pasco.”

The meetings start at 7 p.m. and are held at City Hall, 525 N. Third Ave.

The full proposals for both the operating and the capital projects budgets, along with the budget message and a meeting PowerPoint, are available at www.pasco-wa.gov/budget.

People also can submit an online comment to city council members.

For more information, contact the city manager’s office at 509-545-3404.

This story was originally published November 5, 2017 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Does the 2018 Pasco budget affect you? City Council wants input."