The city of Wapato likely will continue to operate in the red for years to come, the city’s clerk-treasurer said when introducing the 2021 preliminary budget.
The proposed budget, which will be up for discussion during the Wapato City Council’s meeting on Dec. 21, puts expenditures at about $2.98 million and revenues at slightly more than $1.7 million, creating a $1.2 million deficit.
That deficit includes a starting negative balance of $800,000 in the city’s general fund, which is used to pay for city services, including police and fire operations.
“It will probably take us a year or two to get out of the hole we are in,” City Clerk-Treasurer Kimberly Grimm told the council at a recent public meeting.
The city’s focus this year is on rebuilding public safety, particularly police operations, Grimm said. The proposed budget allows salaries for eight police officers, new police vehicles, and eight body cameras for officers.
The police station will be relocated to the Wapato Inspire Development Center, which added about $400,000 to the city’s expenditures, Grimm said. Conditions at the former building, which is on Simcoe Avenue and is more than 100 years old, were found to be unsafe for workers in a review by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
About $139,000 in capital expenditures is bookmarked for police equipment and police vehicles.
The proposed budget shows an additional $117,000 for salaries for police support and temporary police help and a $221,500 increase for patrol salaries. The police department has experienced significant officer turnover in the past several years, in part because several officers chose to resign when then-city Administrator Juan Orozco was in power. The city faced multiple lawsuits and state audit findings during that time.
About $32,000 in the capital expenditures will go to the fire department for needed gear. The department also will receive a 24% increase in its allocations for 2021, mainly to cover personnel and equipment costs.
Areas that saw the biggest decreases included parks, environmental services and judicial operations. While allocations for overtime in the parks department saw a $20,000 decrease, the proposed budget allocates additional funds for park operations, rentals and equipment.
According to the proposed budget, the city’s biggest sources of revenue continue to be taxes, intergovernmental funds, money from goods and services and — to a lesser degree — permits and licenses.
Grimm said city staff is vigilantly looking for grants to offset the city’s deficit. The city has no money in its general fund reserves, which cities set aside for emergency purposes.
Council member Margaret Estrada said during the budget introduction meeting that she believed focusing on public safety was moving in the right direction.
“I think that is a great job and the way to go,” Estrada said.
The Wapato City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Dec. 21 via teleconference.
December 12, 2020 at 06:00PM
https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/city-of-wapato-to-operate-in-the-red-in-2021-according-to-preliminary-budget/article_ca7a54dd-bca1-5baf-be7f-15238c41d512.html
City of Wapato to operate in the red in 2021, according to preliminary budget - Yakima Herald-Republic
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