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Battle Begins Over Quality Of Life Items In Everett’s Half Billion Dollar 2021 Budget

November 1, 2020

Everett Government

The public can comment on the budget in the next three council meetings.

This Wednesday the Everett City Council will hold the first of three public hearings as it considers the 2021 budget.

Next year’s budget is actually more than half-a-billion dollars at $651.9 million.

Last Wednesday the Everett City Council received a briefing on the budget from the Mayor and Finance staff. You can see that briefing here.

It turned into a long meeting at over three hours but covered many of the individual spending proposals by department and fund and led to a pretty significant “parking lot” list of items that council members wanted to have the administration bring back for further clarification.

That list included so-called “Quality of Life” items outlined by Council Budget Chair Scott Murphy that he said he wanted to make sure were included in the 2021 budget.

  • Senior Center Funding
  • Jetty Island Days
  • 4th of July
  • Music in the Park
  • Restoration of Library operating hours
  • Return of the Coordinator position for the City Office of Neighborhoods.

    Most of those items were eliminated this year after COVID-19 and with the prospect of the pandemic continuing well into 2021 they were not included in the 2021 budget. The administration also put out a call for partnership proposals for things like the Senior Center and other events.

    Murphy mentioned several areas where he felt savings could be found in the budget as currently proposed including.

  • Re-examining the jail booking fee budget
  • Using the COPS Grant funding for existing positions budgeted to be filled
  • Tapping into the surplus in the street overlay fund from the $20 car tab fees that are now being released following a supreme court decision
  • Using more of the lodging tax fund to furnish grants.

    Councilmember Paul Roberts mentioned there may be more on the parking lot than there are dollars to fund.

    Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said the City is seeking a million dollars in concessions from city employees in order to gain needed savings.

    Again the city has multiple budget documents posted here for people to review.

    If you want to participate in the public hearings here are the instructions as provided by the city.

    YOU MAY CALL IN TO LISTEN TO THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AT

    1.425.616.3920, Conference ID: 724 887 726#

    WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS IN WRITING BEFORE THE MEETING AT COUNCIL@EVERETTWA.GOV.

    YOU MAY CALL IN TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT STARTING AT 6:00 P.M. 1.425.616.3920, CONFERENCE ID: 111 884 108#

    City council meetings are televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 or Ziply Fiber Channel 29 within the Everett City limits. You can also view online at the City’s website.



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