Edmonds 2010 Citizens Levy Committee to meet Monday

The Edmonds 2010 Citizens Levy Committee will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in the Brackett Room, third floor of City Hall, 121 5th Ave. N.

The agenda includes staff presentations on public works, reports from subcommittees, and discussion on the mid-year budget adjustment and its impact on the general fund.

Public comment will also be taken.

For background on levy committee work to date, visit Citizen Harry’s latest report here.

  1. It concerns me that the hardworking folks who have volunteered their time and considerable talents are doing their work diligently in lieu of the City Council actually doing theirs.
    There was a levy committee not so very long ago, and the Council ignored those recommendations. This Council is avoiding making tough decisions, and instead assigns it to a committee of very sincere and hardworking folk who are doubtless putting much time and thought into the process. (As I am sure the other committee of 65 did).
    Citizen Harry is a terrific resources to all of us regarding the City Finances, and so is Mr. Lorenzo Hines, as I am sure are the rest of those hardworking volunteer on the committee.
    It is the Council’s duty to make the policy decisions within the confines of the City’s finances.

  2. DianeT: while I share your assessment of the Council’s actions with the past levy committee, I encourage you to reserve judgment on how the Council handles this one. I think having a dedicated set of knowledgeable citizens work on the issue and propose a set of potential solutions is an appropriate way to approach a levy. Let’s see what comes out of the committee, and how the Council handles it THIS time.
    Nobody’s shut down the process yet, so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt, and keep all Council members apprised of our recommendations in the meantime.

  3. A few don’t seem to want to listen to the facts about last year’s levy discussions; they’d rather bash the city council. Here are the facts.

    The FD1 deal last year, which came along unexpectedly while the levy committee was operating, provided temporary relief for the city’s finances. That was fortunate, because council concluded the timing was not optimum for putting a tax increase before the voters.

    It is also possible that a levy will not be needed next year. At the Aug 31st 2011 Budget Workshop the administration showed an estimate for 2010 general fund revenue that is more than $2 million higher than the prior revenue outlook provided by the administration. If the Aug 31st estimate is correct, the levy can be once again postponed.

    I have been seeking clarification of the numbers since Aug 31st, but the Finance Director and the Mayor have not answered emails.

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