MEDICAL LAKE—Budget season is in full force. While many municipalities grapple with budget shortfalls, Medical Lake’s proposed 2021 ending fund balance wouldn’t leave the city trying to operate out of a deficit.
A first reading and public hearing for the budget was held at council’s Nov. 17 meeting. The first reading was approved unanimously. No public comment was given.
The general fund would have projected revenues of $3,290,810 and expenditures of $2,465,488 for an ending fund balance of $825,322.
Other expenditures would be $734,223 from the street fund, $2,022,243 from the water/sewer fund, $628,309 from the garbage fund and $65,000 from the capital improvement fund. Total city expenditures would be $5,915,263.
The only fund from this list that would use its entire revenue would be the street fund; all others would have some money left over, including $371,007 in the water/sewer fund, $295,057 in the garbage fund and $338,923 in the capital improvement fund.
Funds that wouldn’t be drawn from under the proposed budget include the finance reserve, city hall reserve, building code reserve, library reserve, impact fee, street equipment reserve, sick leave buy back and contingency funds.
The water/sewer revenue bond, water/sewer bond redemption, water/sewer equipment, water/sewer utility equipment, unemployment compensation and private purpose funds also wouldn’t be drawn from.
The proposed budget between the general fund and all other funds would leave an ending fund balance of $3,510,313, with expenditures totaling $5,915,263 and revenues totaling $9,425,576.
“We always try and leave within our means,” city administrator Doug Ross said.
Council also unanimously approved two 2020 budget amendments, which include a $10,000 transfer into the unemployment compensation fund and a $300,000 transfer from the water/sewer improvement fund to the Spokane Intertie Project to assist in construction, connection and capital improvement fee costs.
Ross reported to council that 16 grants totaling $120,000 from the federal CARES act were distributed to local businesses.
“It went smoother than I thought it was going to go,” Ross said. “The time to get it back from the Department of Commerce was less than a week.”
The city has not been shutting off utilities to residents who haven’t been making payments. However, it began hanging door knockers on those residences. Instead of those door knockers threatening to shut off utilities, they feature a utility relief grant application where residences could check a box on how COVID-19 has affected them and why they can’t pay their utility bill.
“We hung 128 door knockers,” Ross said. “The balances ran from one month being behind or late to $1,000 worth of utility bills.”
The deadline to respond to the application was Nov. 20. Ross estimated residents approved to receive utility help through the CARES act would receive between $100-$200 each.
Total outstanding utility bills reached $46,000.
Mayor Shirley Maike and Ross wanted to divvy the remaining CARES balance between Care and Share and Medical Lake Outreach, which council approved. That money must be allocated by the end of November.
Fire District No. 3 Chief Cody Rohrbach shared that the district is receiving an uptick in COVID-19-related calls. He also shared that the new fire station that will share a building with city hall is “down to the last 1%” in terms of completion and hopes it will be ready for move-in by the end of the year.
Drew Lawson can be reached at drew@cheneyfreepress.com.
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