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The 2011 preliminary budget
As Lillian Broadbent put it, “You have to drill down about four levels to find it.” She was being charitable, but it is here, on the Kafka-esque osgov.com site.
The key word in this document is “preliminary.” So, hopefully, for the Interpretive Center, ”OPERATIONS TEMPORARYLY SUSPENDED DUE TO DIMINISHING REVENUES” screaming out from P. 82 is just a copy-and-paste from the 2010 budget, as its header suggests. Indeed, the following page has a relatively robust (compared to this year) $100,000 in total appropriations for the Interpretive Center, which is widely believed to be the second most popular thing about Ocean Shores.
Congratulations, Building & Permitting! (P. 55) The revenue brought in by this slimmed-down department should exceed salaries, benefits and other costs. If only all departments were like this . . .
Speaking of costs and revenues: We are now more than a month into the fourth quarter. No third quarter financial report has been released. One wonders how up-to-date the “2010 amended” figures are, on P. 29 and elsewhere.
By the way, have you heard the oft-moaned refrain from Mr. Lanfear and City Council, about “we never set money aside for road maintenance”?
Hmmm, did you (and they) know we spent $2 million in the last four years on the Streets Department? And another $434,000 is being asked for this department, in 2011? p. 105:
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Actual Actual Actual Amend Request
SALARIES & WAGES
295,801 275,849 193,744 137,912 194,427
PERSONNEL BENEFITS
125,369 117,200 79,129 57,363 82,939
SUPPLIES
61,118 44,698 27,311 49,997 49,997
OTHER SERVICES & CHARGES
95,969 96,513 126,553 99,496 107,578
Total Appropriations:
$588,608 $786,292 $434,480 $344,768 $434,941
Something is also going on in the Mayor’s office. For the last three-plus years, Executive/Administration has been a two-person department: the Mayor, and an Executive Assistant. But follow the money in the 2011 request: more than $40,000 less, in salaries and benefits, compared to 2010.
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Actual Actual Actual Amend Request
TOTAL SALARIES & WAGES
159,157 134,740 134,920 131,875 116,249 (-15,626 -11.8%)
PERSONNEL BENEFITS
Health Insurance
23,279 20,769 29,022 29,373 6,338 (-23,035 -78.4%)
Retirement
10,309 10,348 12,777 5,034 1,966 (-3,068 -60.9%)
TOTAL PERSONNEL BENEFITS
38,743 35,265 46,889 38,782 12,233 (-26,549 -68.5%)
Why this exercise? This from July 12 2010 Council Minutes says it all:
Other Reports: City Attorney Blauvelt reported on the mayor’s authority.
There are two important statutes regarding the mayor’s authority:
• RCW 35A.12.090 states that the mayor shall have the power of appointment and removal of all appointed officers and employees; and Council confirmation is not required.
• RCW 35A.12.100 states that the mayor is the chief executive and administrative officer and in charge of all departments and employees. The legislative body is the city council that adopts the budget; the mayor has authority to move money within funds but if he wants to create a new position Council approval is required.
EDITED, TOO LONG (10 LINE MAX)
Is the proposed budget with the Mayor’s letter on the city’s filepro site? In two days there is a study session. How does a taxpayer understand anything without a proposed budget with line items to look at?
Wasn’t the 22 cent library lid lift suppose to bring in $304,000? The library budget shows zeros and tax revenues of only $293,000. That can’t be due to a drop in property valuations as the county can’t change that until 2012 which is the end of the four year cycle.
Not going to happen in this lifetime!!! Everyone is on a fixed income. Employers will only pay you X dollars for 40 hours work. If not hourly, your salary is X. Pensions and Social Security just set your pay at X. Also, there is no guarantee for either in getting annual increases these days.
increase property taxes on everyone earning over $150,00 per year. no increase for those of us on fixed incomes. also write off lid assesments on all on fixed income. increase lid assesment on all earning over $150,00 by 50%.
I think you have it wrong Tom, For the city it is “OPERATIONS TEMPORARYLY SUSPENDED DUE TO DIMINISHING CAPACITY.” Every year we go through the dance steps and end up in the same place. Just copy last year’s and send it in. It really does not matter. By the middle of next year we will know that we were way over budget this year and need to make cuts that we will not make because we can ammend the budget with new borrowing from the utilities or anywhere else there is fluff hidden in the budget.
audit? we don’t need no stinking audit. just give us all your money and keep quiet. oops, sorry. sounds like i went over.
I am out of my league in this but I have a question anyway. Does anyone know if anyone has asked the city clerk for the most recent city audit? I need to find this out. Thanks.
The narrative (p. 56) does not note any expansion of the City Clerk dept., but the suggestion of a shift from Exec/Admin here could be spot on . . .
Ummmm, Tom, did you notice that the city clerks line on page 12 of the prelim. lists a $58K increase? Maybe that’s where the $42k from Executive/Admin went…..
So, after a year of getting direction from the citizens of Ocean Shores, it is still business as usual. Can you say decommission the city?