Mid-Year City Budget Reduction Results

With a projected $11.7 million mid-year general fund shortfall forecast back in April, the City of Seattle decided to do a little budget trimming. The results were released today.  You can check out the presentation to the Seattle City Council Budget Committee here (PDF).

Here’s a bit of a summary, with a little emphasis on NE Seattle:

• No reductions in Fire (“In light of tragic events over the weekend,” full review of safety implications due to cuts is requested)
• Parks: No pools or community centers closed; wading pools partially closed
  • Ravenna Wading Pool closed for the year due to cuts
  • Dahl Wading Pool to open only three days a week, due to cuts
• Library funding reduced by 2.4%, but current hours kept for all branches
• Layoffs of 53.2 FTEs (full-time equivalents) included only 13 filled positions (remaining 43.9 FTEs are vacant).
• SDOT has its own internal 2010 shortfall of $6.6 million; total SDOT shortfall (adding its share of the general fund shortfall) is $7.8 million.
• ‘Rainy Day’ fund is down to $10 million (from $30 million at the beginning of 2009)
• Mid-year changes should capture $12.4 million; the extra $700,000 will go toward filling the gaping maw that is the 2011 shortfall.

There is still a $50 million general fund shortfall forecast for 2011. Projected reductions proposed for general fund departments look like this:

• Police and Fire – 1-5%
• Human Services – 5-10%
• Other agencies – 9.5-14.5%

And we were crying over wading pools?