HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council June 18 2002 BUDGET1
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Special County Council
June 18, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Council Chair L. Ward
Nelson in the Whatcom County Courthouse Multi- Purpose Room, 311 Grand
Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present: Absent:
Barbara Brenner None
Laurie Caskey- Schreiber
Sam Crawford
Seth Fleetwood
Dan McShane
Sharon Roy
1. DISCUSSION REGARDING BUDGET AND STRATEGIC PLANNING
ISSUES (AB2002 -169)
Dewey Desler, Deputy Administrator, submitted information on revenue
projections from 1989 through 2005 (on file). Topics discussed included history
and projections for property taxes, sales and use taxes, and interest earnings;
intergovernmental revenue; fees for services; the effect of large industrial
development on the sales and use tax and property tax revenue.
The Council reviewed the eight draft budget development guidelines for fiscal
year (FY) 2003.
Roy moved approval of the eight draft budget development items.
Topics discussed included the guidelines' applicability to the strategic plan
and cash reserves; budget neutral staffing increases.
Crawford moved to amend guidelines one, two, and three regarding service
levels, prioritizing services, and staffing levels. Replace those three guidelines with
the following:
1. The Council requests that the administration develop a prioritization of
services currently offered, based on the feedback received from the
Council during budget policy discussions to -date, along with the
administration's own prioritizations.
Special Whatcom County Council - BUDGET, 6/18/2002, Page 1
DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
1 2. The Council requests the administration to prepare a budget impact
2 analysis for reduction or removal of lowest priority services.
3 3. The Council requests the administration to develop a budget based on:
4 1. A reduced level of service in some areas deemed as a lower priority,
5 2. A hiring freeze for the period of one year, with overall personnel
6 reduction through attrition, voluntary termination of service, and
7 retirement, 3. No additional service requests for the period of one
8 yea r.
9 4. The Council requests the administration to present a budget proposal
10 with the above guidelines in a manner that reflects the County's
11 current revenue - generation ability, in order to produce a balanced
12 budget.
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14 Topics discussed included the County's ability to prioritize tasks and services;
15 language in the proposed guidelines regarding low priority services; reducing
16 overall budget expenditures; the administration's priority direction; departments
17 prioritizing their services and programs, and; flexibility in a hiring freeze.
18
19 (Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side A.)
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21 Additional topics discussed included the departments' two percent budget
22 reductions for 2002.
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24 Crawford amended his motion to include added language to paragraph three,
25 item two, "2. A hiring freeze for the period of one year, with overall personnel
26 reduction through attrition, voluntary termination of service, and retirement. The
27 hiring freeze policy will include the following exceptions: A. As personnel are
28 reduced in various positions, promotions and transfers from within may occur to
29 defer the personnel reduction to the area of least impact within that department as
30 the administration sees fit, and B. A department will be excepted from this policy
31 when the department's staffing level drops below 95 percent of the fiscal year 2002
32 staffing level. At that point, staffing may be increased through new hires, back to a
33 95 to 97 percent 2002 staffing level range."
34
35 Crawford further amended his motion to add language to paragraph three,
36 item three, "3. No additional service requests for the period of one year, unless
37 they are shown to be budget neutral or budget reducing through reductions in other
38 areas of lower priority."
39
40 There was discussion regarding Councilmember Crawford's proposed
41 language and the use of the fund balance and the level of a hiring freeze.
42
43 Crawford withdrew his motion. He asked for more information about how
44 eliminating or reducing low priority programs would affect the County financially.
45
46 Nelson moved to amend guideline one regarding service levels, '...wherever
47 possible, euFFent essential levels of service. A proposal for new...."
Special Whatcom County Council - BUDGET, 6/18/2002, Page 2
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
Motion carried 4 -3 with Brenner, McShane, and Fleetwood opposed.
McShane moved to amend guideline three, "...or funded through internal cost
savings. The Council's policy is that continuation of positions supported by fees,
grants, and external sources is contingent on the continuation of the position's
funding source."
The motion was discussed.
Motion carried unanimously.
Roy suggested including language regarding taxing authority to guideline
five.
McShane moved to amend guideline five, 'The Council encourages the
administration to develop proposals that will increase fees for service and grant,
revenues and adjust the revenue stream."
(Clerk's Note: End of tape one, side 8.)
Motion carried unanimously.
Caskey- Schreiber moved to amend guideline two by adding language, "...the
mission of the department. The Council requests the administration to develop a
prioritization of services currently offered, based on the feedback received from the
Council in budget policy discussions to date, along with the administration's own
prioritization."
There was discussion about the Council getting the departments'
prioritizations in a timely manner.
Motion carried 5 -2 with McShane and Fleetwood opposed.
Brenner moved to amend the 2003 Budget preparation schedule to include
September 17, 2002 as the date the prioritization guidelines are due to the Council.
Motion carried 4 -3 with Crawford, McShane, and Nelson opposed.
Motion to approve the Budget Development Guidelines for FY2003 carried 6-
1 with Brenner opposed.
Nelson stated the Council accepts the 2003 Budget preparation schedule, as
amended.
Special Whatcom County Council - BUDGET, 6/18/2002, Page 3
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DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 10:55 a.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
These minutes were approved by Council on July 16 , 2002.
ATTEST:
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk L. Ward Nelson, Council Chair
Special Whatcom County Council - BUDGET, 6/18/2002, Page 4