Mayor Justin Nickels presented his 2018 Executive Budget to the full city council Monday night. The nearly $59 million spending package has a slight increase in the assessed tax rate from 2017. According to the mayor, he is recommending “$1.892 per $1,000 which is a 1.87% increase over 2017…That’s $15 per year on a $100,000 home or $1.25 per month increase.” The average home’s approximate value in the city is $60,000. Translation, the city portion of your tax bill likely will be less that $68.24 per month. Mayor Nickels called that a great deal for all the services the city offers, including fire, police, and “over 300 miles of roads.”
He also proposes borrowing nearly $7 million for various projects while paying off about $7.5 million in debt, leaving the city a little more than $50 million in the red, about $27 million less than in 2009. The budget also contains $407,000 for wage increases and other fringe benefits for employees, infrastructure improvements with an emphasis on parks, road projects and maintenance along with more flexibility to purchase items of need with cash and not, in the mayors words, “on the credit card.” The city’s rainy day fund has also increased from $16,981 in 2010 to $3.8 million today. A pair of listening sessions are planned for Tuesday, October 31st from 10:30 AM -12:00 PM, and from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM inside the Council Chambers at City Hall.
