EDMONDS, Wash. — It was a gloomy fall day on the Edmonds waterfront, Friday, with the clouds of a multi-million-dollar budget deficit hanging over the city.
It's a hole that is $13 million deep.
When Mayor Mike Rosen showed up to break the news at a community meeting this week, he started by telling the crowd he had purchased a new shirt. It wasn't the one he was wearing, but a t-shirt with a bullseye on it.
"I told them it wasn't going to be good news," said Rosen.
Rosen knew the news would put a target on his back.
"I believe not all of it, but some of this, could've been prevented," explained the mayor.
The problems started when the city overestimated revenue by $200,000. It also overestimated the beginning budget balance by $550,000. The city paid more than $250,000 in unbudgeted money to laid off employees. That's about $1 million in mistakes.
Rosen told KING 5 he inherited much of the financial mess when the newly-elected mayor walked into City Hall in January, but he takes full responsibility for cleaning it up.
"Laying blame doesn't help but there are lessons learned in what took place, and that helps in developing approaches to prevent it in the future," said Rosen.
To balance the budget, Rosen proposed 12-day furloughs for non-union employees, cuts to human resources, and the elimination of a probation officer. Edmonds would sell off city vehicles, fire services would be absorbed by South County Fire, the beach rangers program would be cut, as would a summer day camp. The city would have to take out a $7.5 million loan and ask voters for a potential levy lift. Not to mention, there would be layoffs for 46 city employees.
Rosen said that's what hurts the most.
"You see how hard they work to serve the people of Edmonds, and that this is their personal lives, it just rips you apart," the mayor said.
Rosen explained there is no one person or administration to blame for the problems.
"The city has been kicking some cans down the road for quite some time," he said.
To make sure oversights like this don't happen again, the city is adding more checks and balances to the system. Administrators are changing purchasing policies and becoming more conservative in income projections. City officials also plan to move to a biannual budgeting process, as opposed to annual.
Amidst the fall gloom, Mayor Rosen believes there are brighter days ahead.
"We have a history of showing up, rolling up our sleeves and working together," Rosen said. "I believe the same will be true now."
The city council will now look at the mayor's proposal, decide what cuts to make, and vote on the budget in November.