County announces more spending cuts
Published on Thu, Mar 26, 2009 by Beckye RandallRead More Local News
With sharper-than-expected declines in revenues, Snohomish County leaders are considering emergency ordinances developed by the county executive's office that are designed to reduce budgeted expenditures in 2009.
A hiring freeze currently in effect will be expanded to 2009 budgeted positions that were previously excluded from the freeze. In addition, management and non-represented county employees will be required to take eleven days of unpaid furlough in 2009, and will see a 4.23 percent salary cut for the remainder of the year.
The ordinance recognizes a decrease in revenue from local and criminal justice sales tax, interest on investment earnings and revenue for timber sales from the state. The deficits from these sources, which are partially offset by a $1.3 million transfer from the Road Fund to the General Fund, amount to nearly $5.5 million.
A previous line item for historical preservation of $257,595 has been eliminated from the updated budget.
County executive Aaron Reardon outlined the reductions in broad strokes for employees and the public at a brief noon meeting Monday, March 23. Because the ordinances were introduced as emergency measures, they can be adopted by the County Council without the requirement of a public hearing.
The furlough request has been forwarded to AFSCME, the county's largest employee union, and its leadership will present it to union members this week.
Trying to strike a positive tone, Reardon told the assembled group the budget changes will allow the county to provide vital services and save jobs. The cuts were "developed with and supported by elected leaders," said Reardon. The county executive met privately last week with department heads and county councilmembers.
To encourage unified support of the painful measures, Reardon reached back to his youth, quoting his grandmother, who lived during the Great Depression, as saying, "The closer you stand as a family or a team, the farther you'll go and the fewer will be left behind."
"We have an opportunity to reshape county government for the better," Reardon said. "It's time we became a team with one voice and one goal."
A hiring freeze currently in effect will be expanded to 2009 budgeted positions that were previously excluded from the freeze. In addition, management and non-represented county employees will be required to take eleven days of unpaid furlough in 2009, and will see a 4.23 percent salary cut for the remainder of the year.
The ordinance recognizes a decrease in revenue from local and criminal justice sales tax, interest on investment earnings and revenue for timber sales from the state. The deficits from these sources, which are partially offset by a $1.3 million transfer from the Road Fund to the General Fund, amount to nearly $5.5 million.
A previous line item for historical preservation of $257,595 has been eliminated from the updated budget.
County executive Aaron Reardon outlined the reductions in broad strokes for employees and the public at a brief noon meeting Monday, March 23. Because the ordinances were introduced as emergency measures, they can be adopted by the County Council without the requirement of a public hearing.
The furlough request has been forwarded to AFSCME, the county's largest employee union, and its leadership will present it to union members this week.
Trying to strike a positive tone, Reardon told the assembled group the budget changes will allow the county to provide vital services and save jobs. The cuts were "developed with and supported by elected leaders," said Reardon. The county executive met privately last week with department heads and county councilmembers.
To encourage unified support of the painful measures, Reardon reached back to his youth, quoting his grandmother, who lived during the Great Depression, as saying, "The closer you stand as a family or a team, the farther you'll go and the fewer will be left behind."
"We have an opportunity to reshape county government for the better," Reardon said. "It's time we became a team with one voice and one goal."
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