Public weighs in on Lacey's proposed 2010 budget

Five residents testified Thursday night during a public hearing about the city’s proposed 2010 budget.

The budget, which the City Council is scheduled to vote on Dec. 3, maintains all current services and avoids layoffs.

The proposed budget totals $102.8 million. It includes a $35.2 million general fund that pays for basic services.

The speakers thanked the City Council for preserving funding critical to social service agencies and including $50,000 for the design of an expansion to the senior center.

The city will pay Lacey Fire District No. 3 more than $4.8 million to provide firefighting and basic emergency medical response to city residents, a 10 percent increase from this year. It is the final year of their contract. The city intends to ask voters in April whether to annex the city into the district.

The major road project scheduled to get under way next year is the extension of Mullen Road between Ruddell Road and College Street.

The city doesn’t plan to add positions next year. It has 252 full-time-equivalent positions, although some are unfilled.

It includes a 4 percent increase in water rates to pay for rising costs. A Lacey resident who uses 900 cubic feet of water will pay about 88 cents more a month; those outside the city limits will see an increase of $1.05 a month. There is no increase in city’s wastewater and stormwater fees next year. The LOTT Alliance, which treats the wastewater the city collects, has proposed a monthly increase of $1.50.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve the water-rate increase and set next year’s tax levy after the public hearing. The council also approved a resolution to create a substantial need. State law says the city's tax levy only can be increased by either 1 percent or the implicit price deflator, a measure of inflation, whichever is less. The IPD is at minus-0.85, and Finance Director Troy Woo said the city would receive less property-tax revenue -- outside of new construction -- without the resolution. One of the arguments the city used to reinforce its need is that it made $2.1 million in budget cuts this year. The city's tax levy is projected to increase 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, to $2.13 from $2.08. The figure includes voter-approved levies to pay for fire stations and equipment and park improvements. The city also earmarked $50,000 to purchase 50 automatic external defibrillators that will be installed in patrol cars so that police officers can aid residents suffering heart attacks.

The budget will take effect Jan. 1.