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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-07-21 Special Minutes - Budget MeetingTUKWILA CITY COUNCIL July 21, 1980 Tukwila City Hall Council Chambers 6:30 P.M. DISCUSSION 1981 Budget Guidelines BUDGET MEETING Council President Saul called the Budget discussion meeting to order. Discussion was held on the current sources of revenue. Councilman Harris suggested the possibility of the City needing to increase its revenue source and asked where it's going to come from. She suggested a utility tax to start with. Councilman Van Dusen asked what the guess would be for the 1981 revenue. Mrs. Kristofferson, Acting Finance Director, said it would be about the same as 1980. Councilman Bohrer said the percentage increase in the sales tax has been relatively modest compared to the increase in salaries,and salaries are where the City spends 3/4 of the budget. Councilman Saul said he wants Council to give some direction to the Department Heads in preparing their 1981 budget requests. Councilman Van Dusen said he wants the Department Heads to make the determination of what they "really need" to operate their department. They are going to have to give us the basis for it. Councilman Harris said first Council should tell them what we expect them to do. Then, they can come back and tell us what it will cost. We need goals and guidelines for them to budget toward. Councilman Phelps said we have the Council Goals for them to follow and incorporate in their budgets. They were reviewed and modified in February. Councilman Harris said we need to make a new set of goals. Councilman Van Dusen said we should instruct the Department Heads to hold the line. If they want improvements or to do something extra they will have to do it within that guideline -the one Councilman Saul refers to in his memo. [I am proposing that the anticipated salary increase should be absorbed into each depart- ment budget without an overall increase to the 1981 Budget. This will require a closer account and justification for the dis- cretionary portion of the 1981 Budget.] The idea is good. If the want to change something and do something different, they will have to think about absorbing at least part of it in the budget. If it is a good idea and there is good reason, Council can help in the funding. Council- man Bohrer clarified that the total dollar budgeted for each department in 1981 will not exceed what it was in 1980. Council- man Saul said that was his intent. It was even to absorb any increase in pay. They might not be able to do this because of inflation. It is better to increase a budget rather than have to cut a great deal out. Councilman Harris said that, with the larger budgets, there would be more leeway; with the smaller budgets, this would be a lot harder. Mrs. Kristofferson said you are talking about having the Departments consider a salary increase, and this is something we have tried to get away from in the past. We have always put the total dollars for salary increases in a separate budget. This prevents setting guidelines before negotiations start. Councilman Saul said the intent is not to lose people. If we have to add a budget to keep the employees we will consider it. Councilman Hill said to tell the Department Heads that Council would like to hold the line at the 1980 Budget totals, not lose any personnel,and services should remain status quo unless there is a good argument as to why there should be an increase. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL, BUDGET MEETING July 21, 1980 Page 2 DISCUSSION Cont. 1981 Budget Councilman Bohrer said he likes Councilman Saul's suggestion to hold the budget levels and review the personnel problems later during the budget review process. It is not Council's intent to decrease people, but these ground rules may result in this. Councilman Van Dusen said this should result in a better utilization of man power. The time being 7:00 P.M. Council went into the Regular Meeting. Dan Saul, Maxine 'Anderson, City Clerk