Mayor Says City Of Everett, Washington 2024 Budget Balanced With “Unusually Significant Amounts Of Outside Funding”

In describing her proposed 2024 budget, Mayor Cassie Franklin told MyEverettNews.com her top priorities were public safety and protecting the most vulnerable residents of Everett, Washington.

Tonight she delivered her sixth budget address as Mayor to the Everett City Council.

The citywide expenditure budget is $438.8 million dollars. The citywide revenue budget is coming in at $424.6 million dollars. That left a gap of $14.2 million dollars to be closed.

The Mayor addressed that gap and cited the tough environment that has faced Everett, Washington for the past several years. Here’s an excerpt from the speech.

As I’ve shared the challenges we are facing with our budget are serious. My proposed budget for this year makes the most of the opportunities before us, like federal grants and other outside funds. It ensures our departments have the resources to maintain our essential service levels as we continue to grow. And it allows us to make a few targeted investments in areas of highest community need. However, none of this is possible without the unusually significant amounts of outside funding, including the COVID recovery funds and the COPS grant from the federal government, and some difficult choices like delaying capital investments. We need solutions to our revenue issues that will get Everett on steadier financial footing and prepare us for the future our residents deserve. I look forward to working with our council on this in the coming few months.

Mayor Franklin talked about adding more police officers and being proactive in hiring of firefighters. She also proposed putting $1.1 million dollars of COVID-recovery funding into the community to support programs being provided by non-profits.

You can click the link below to read the entire budget message from the Mayor

Mayor’s 2024 Budget Address

Here’s the video of the Mayor’s Address. It runs about 18 minutes.

 

Following the Mayor’s budget address, City of Everett Finance Director Susy Haugen and Budget Manager Heide Brilliantes took the City Council through the budget calendar and a review of the Citywide revenues and expenses. They also covered General Government revenues and expenses and the General Government 6-year forecast. Here’s the full power-point presentation given to the City Council.

2024 City of Everett Revenue and Expenditure Briefing

You can watch the review on the City of Everett’s YouTube Channel. It is the last part of the City Council Meeting broadcast. It should be available by tomorrow morning.

You can click here to see the city’s budget webpage and keep up on the information as the 2024 budget process proceeds.

The City Council is expected to get their 2024 budget books in mid-October.

The outlook for 2025 – 2030 includes large deficits for the next five years per the current forecast.