Few public comments made by residents, council members on $25.6 million measure
In a unanimous 7-0 vote, the Cheney City Council approved the city’s $25.6 million 2016 budget at the council’s Dec. 8 meeting.
Finance Director Cindy Niemeier recapped the budget process for the council before the ordinance vote, noting council budget sessions had been held Oct. 6 and Oct. 15 along with two public hearings during council sessions Nov. 10 and Nov. 24. Niemeier said there was little public participation at those meetings, and that her office had received no comments on the budget.
The Light Department came in with the budget’s highest revenue and expense projection, anticipating $9.793 million in revenues and expenses. Niemeier told the council she adjusted this total to incorporate a recently awarded Transportation Improvement Board grant for replacing existing high pressure sodium light fixtures and lamps with more efficient and longer-lasting LED fixtures and lamps.
The account that often receives the most attention, current expense/general fund, came in balanced at just over $7.34 million. The general fund account handles revenues and expenses for the administration, finance, municipal court, parks and recreation, police and fire departments, with the majority of revenue coming from property taxes.
During November’s public hearings, these departments provided their anticipated revenue and expenses for the coming year to the council, with the exception of police and fire. After email requests from the Cheney Free Press the city released the “Financial and Position Summaries” documents for both departments.
Fire Department revenues and expenses are projected at $1,658,100, with just under half of revenues ($801,800) being provided by the fire services contract with Eastern Washington University ($531,400), the emergency medical services levy ($262,000), fire equipment reserve ($7,200) and EMS trauma ($1,200).
No projected 2016 budget information for the Police Department has been provided by the city. The latest budget information contained in the “Financial and Position Summaries” document was for 2015, which had projected revenues and expenses of just over $2.55 million.
In November, Cheney voters approved lifting the city’s property tax levy lid to help pay for public safety needs, which include two new officers and replacement vehicles for the Police Department along with new equipment and preparation to purchase or lease a new No. 1 attack engine for the Fire Department.
The final big-ticket budget item, water/sewer/solid waste, comes in at $5,213,200 for 2016. Cheney’s final 2016 budget passed with no council comments.
Also at the Dec. 8 meeting, the council unanimously approved several other ordinances dealing with the 2016 and 2015 budgets. Among those were a third budget amendment for 2015, an ordinance establishing the salaries for 2016 and an ordinance setting the utility rates and fees in the coming year.
City Administrator Mark Schuller told the council the salary ordinance contained all cost of living adjustments agreed to with public employee unions and a 2 percent COLA for non-union represented employees.
Council was asked and agreed to hold all three readings and final passage of all three ordinances at the Dec. 8 meeting.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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