HomeMy WebLinkAboutord2009-074 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. AB2009 - 435
CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to:
11/10/09 Intro
Originator:
Division Head: fl � II = E ^ V E D 11/24/09 Finance
uu �/ Committee;
DEC ° 81009 X009 Councit
Dept. Head: .
Prosecutor: a ' ��1, 1� HA cauNCfUL
Purchasing/B .i.et: � 9 A9
Executive: , / ; , t / U
TITLE ', F D CUMENT: 201 upplemental Budget Request #3
ATTACHM NTS: Ordinance, Memoranda & Budget Modification Requests
SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing ? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO
SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO Requested Date:
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public hearing,
you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in
explaining the intent of the action.)
Supplemental #3 requests funding from the General Fund:
(1) To record increase in General Fund property tax revenues from Conservation Futures Fund source of
$543, 000.
(2) To record residual equity transfer in from the Administrative Services Fund of $500, 000.
(3) To record transfer in of $153,210 from the Mental Health/Chemical Dependency Fund to fund Behavioral
Unit in District Court Probation.
(4) To appropriate $250, 000 of additional funding to Superior Court
(5) To appropriate $30, 000 in County Council for UGA legal services.
(6) To record transfer in of $52,000 from Conservation Futures Fund for PDR services in Planning and
Development
(7) To record expenditure reductions in Planning and Development Services of$400, 000.
(8) To appropriate $65,500 in Planning and Development Services to fund WRIA Grant amendment #6.
(9) To appropriate $38, 088 in the Sheriffs Office to fund Sex offender registration program.
(10) To record 1 % reduction in expenditures funded by General Fund undedicated revenues in all General
Fund departments except Council, District Court, District Court Probation and Superior Court/Clerk
($353,007).
Continued on next page
COMMITTEE ACTION: COUNCIL ACTION:
11 / 10 / 2009 : Introduced
11 / 24 / 2009 : Substitute accepted and Amended
5 - 2 Nelson & Brenner opposed
Ord . 2009 -074
Note : On 12 / 21 / 2009 Executive Pete Kremen
vetoed this ordinance - see attached memo
Related County Contract #: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number:
Ord . 2009 - 074
2010 Supplemental Budget Ordinance No. 3 Agenda Bill continued:
From the Mental Health/Chemical Dependency Fund:
(11) To record revenue and expenditure adjustments in the 2010 budget in Adult Drug Court, Revenue reductions
total $20, 608 and expenditure reductions total $39, 622.
(12) To appropriate $214,409 in Superior Court to fund Family Treatment Court
From the Conservation Futures Fund:
(13) To record reduction in property tax revenues of $543, 000.
From the Administrative Services Fund:
(14) To appropriate $500, 000 to fund residual equity transfer out to the General Fund.
SPONSORED BY: Finance
PROPOSED BY: Executive
INTRODUCTION DATE : 11 /10/09
ORDINANCE NO . 2009 - 074
AMENDMENT NO. 3 OF THE 2010 BUDGET
WHEREAS , the 2009-2010 budget was adopted November 25 , 2008 ; and ,
WHEREAS , changing circumstances require modifications to the approved 2009-2010
budget; and ,
WHEREAS, the modifications to the budget have been assembled here for deliberation by
the Whatcom County Council .
NOW, THEREFORE , BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the 2009-
2010 Whatcom County Budget Ordinance #2008-053 is hereby amended by adding the
following additional amounts to the budgets included therein :
Expenditures Revenues Net Effect
General Fund
Non-Departmental - ( 1 , 043 , 000) ( 1 , 043 , 000)
District Court Probation - ( 153 , 210) ( 153 ,210)
Superior Court 250 , 000 - 250 , 000
County Council 30 , 000 - 30 , 000
Planning & Development Services (357 , 315) ( 126 , 999) (484 , 314)
Sheriff ( 74, 018) (71 , 801 ) ( 145 , 819)
Juvenile Court Administration (37, 855) - (37 , 855)
Prosecuting Attorney (41 , 500) - (41 , 500)
Public Defender (35 , 755) - (35 , 755)
Assessor ( 11 , 670) - ( 11 , 670 )
Auditor ( 11 , 670 ) - ( 11 , 670 )
Treasurer ( 11 , 670 ) - ( 11 , 670)
Health Department (29 , 360 ) - (29 , 360)
Parks Department (27 , 766 ). - (27 , 766)
County Executive (6 , 179) - (6 , 179)
Hearing Examiner ( 1 , 750) - ( 1 , 750)
Extension (2 ,911 ) - (2 , 911 )
Total General Fund (369 ,419) ( 1 , 395 , 010) ( 1 , 764 ,429)
Mental Health/Chemical Dependency
Fund 174, 787 ( 79 , 392 ) 95 , 395
Conservation Futures Fund - 543, 000 543 , 000
Administrative Services Fund 500 , 000 - 500 , 000
Total Addy! Supplemental 305 ,368 (931 , 402 ) (626 , 034)
I : \ BUDGET \ SUPPLS \ 2010_Suppl \ Supplemental # 3 - 2010CouncilFinal . doc
In addition , Exhibit B to the 2009-2010 Budget Ordinance entitled "Authorized Positions"
should be amended to provide for the following FTEs :
Add 1 FTE Clerk position and . 7 FTE Case Manager position in the Mental Health/Chemical
Dependency Fund for the Family Treatment Court program .
ADOPTED this 24th day of November , 2009 .
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
ATTEST: WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
. <-"e, ntw h ovw I
Dana Bnwn-Davis, Council Clerk S - F = - fain od , Ch .' ir of the ncil
APPR • ED AS TO FOf ( i Ap • : ye . ( enied
eputy Prosecutor mete Kremen , County Executive
Date : /c�a.1/ oq
e
I : \ BUDGET \ SUPPLS \ 2010_Suppl \ Supplemental # 3 - 2010CouncilFinal . doc
WMATCOM COUNTY (e \� % Pete Kremen
EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE '� County Executive
County Courthouse Y
311 Grand Avenue, Suite # 108 +
Bellingham, WA 98225 -4082 9SF/ING*�
MEMORANDUM
TO : Seth Fleetwood , Chair
Whatcom County Council
FROM : Pete Kremen , County Executive
DATE : December 21 , 2009
SUBJECT : Veto of Amendment No . 3 of the 2010 Budget
On Tuesday, November 24 , the Council passed Amendment No . 3 of the
2010 Budget in the form of Ordinance 2009-074 . In accordance with Whatcom
County Code , Section 2 . 30 , the following memorandum contains my objections
and reasons for vetoing Ordinance 2009-074 .
Our government is facing some of the most difficult financial times in the
past 75 years . We have witnessed an unprecedented national economic
recession . We have lost millions of dollars in annual revenue throughout many
county accounts . In response to these financial challenges I have been
implementing a Budget Stabilization Plan which will help to bring our annual
expenditures in line with our revenues over the next 12- 15 months .
These are very serious times that require serious and deliberate actions to
protect the investments and services of the taxpayers of Whatcom County. Our
budget must reflect the weightiness of these tough economic times and offer a
predictable expenditure plan that lives within our revenues . This challenge is by
no means insurmountable . By being careful and focusing on offering a
sustainable level of expenditures we will continue to meet the core demands of our
residents and position ourselves to meet these demands in the future .
One of our most important tasks , as the elected leadership of Whatcom
County, is to help create the certainty and security our residents and employees
need to guide them through these difficult times . Several elements of Budget
Amendment No . 3 raise concerns that may exacerbate the impact of the economic
downturn on our budget in 2010 and beyond .
Office (360) 676-6717 County (360) 384-1403 FAX (360) 676-6775 TDD (360) 738-4555
• The Council added $250 , 000 to the Superior Court/Clerk Budget. That
process and decision undermine our efforts to carefully look to all parts of the
budget for savings and reductions . Decisions such as this penalize and
demoralize the rest of the departments and offices in our organization that
have been working diligently to find efficiencies and reduce costs throughout
our Government. Clearly, this decision requires reconsideration . The
message conveyed by this allocation is essentially to reward a department
(Superior Court) that traditionally overspends its annual budget and needs to
be supplemented at the end of every year. In 2008 the supplemented amount
was $ 165 , 000 . This year's projected shortfall is $ 117 , 000 . Additionally in
2006 , in response to the Court' s claimed staffing crisis , 5 . 5 FTEs were added .
Authorized staffing has steadily increased for Superior Court from 33 FTEs in
2003 to 43 . 5 FTEs in 2009 -- a 32 % increase . The Court has only recently
begun to take steps to reign in spending . My office will work closely with the
Court to help them carry out their core functions in an efficient and cost-
effective manner.
• The Amended Budget adds $30 , 000 for additional legal services to the
Council budget. I believe this decision to pay for outside legal counsel needs
further deliberation and active consultation with my office as well as the
Prosecutor.
• Your Budget Amendment reduces each Executive Branch Department office
by approximately 1 % . This reduction comes on top of my Budget Stabilization
Plan which already is projected to reduce expenditures by millions of dollars
through furloughs and attrition in all Departments . The Council specifically
excluded the Council Office Budget and the Courts from this 1 % reduction . I
believe my office and the public needs to be more involved in a decision that
effectively carves out only one branch of our government for targeted budget
cuts . It' s disappointing that so far during this economic downturn the Council
has mostly excluded themselves from the equitable reductions I have sought
to implement across all branches and departments . Additionally, since 2007
the Council has approved ongoing expenditures in excess of $2 . 3 million
above recommended budget levels , significantly exacerbating our current
deficit.
As we move forward , we must focus our limited resources on core services
that provide the greatest value to our residents . To that end , I will be proposing a
Budget Modification that transfers $70 , 000 in wage and benefits in 2010 from a
vacant court position . This amount can be used to support high-priority Superior
Court Services .
Further, rather than a 1 % reduction as adopted by the Council , I will be
proposing that all departments , except Superior Court, implement only an
additional '/2 of 1 % reduction from undedicated resources assigned to all
departments . This will be in addition to the attrition and furlough targets that each
department is working toward through 2010 .
While we are focused on the immediate concern of attaining a balanced
budget , many residents and employees are facing much greater personal
challenges brought on by the economic recession . They will rely on their elected
leaders to not only deliver services and help improve economic opportunity, but
also to provide stability and a clear vision for the future . I look forward to
continuing to work with the Council in 2010 to ensure that the services outlined in
the budget are sustainable and prioritized to meet our County' s greatest needs .
Pete Kremen Date : 12/21 /09
County Executive
Approved as to form :
r' 44 v Date : /a /0201/0 �
Chief Civil Deputy P secuting Attorney