Comments on: The times they are a-changin’

By: unnamedCuriosity

unnamedCuriosity — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:42:12 +0000

Here is my recommendation to our city council for the budget.

Do Not Raise My Taxes. Do not raise my Utility Fees. I can’t afford any more. Times are tough for everyone. Government needs to cut back more.

Treat the city budget like it is a home budget. Cut Spending if you don’t have enough money. If you are in debt, Cut Spending. It is simple.

Question - You just learned that your job will cut your income by over 12% next year. What will you do?

City of Kirkland Answer - Force your employer to give you more money, AND cut the output of work you give him. Cut a little spending here and there, but still go to Hawaii for vacation and still buy that new car because you have savings in the bank that you can spend during down times. Your living standard is what should be maintained.
This makes no sense yet it is what the city is planning to do to us.

A Real Person’s Answer - Cut spending, eat out less, don’t buy a new car, don’t go on vacation, don’t dine out, don’t go to the movies, cut back on spending, cut back on activities, cut back on everything but the essentials. Don’t dip into savings unless it is an emergency because that is what you have a savings account for: emergencies.

What is wrong with our city? It is not cutting enough and it is asking us to pay for it’s spending habits.

By: kirkland busy body

kirkland busy body — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:16:50 +0000

Consultants are hopefully one time expenses utilized only if expertise is not available internally. I am not sure that some departments who constantly utilize consultants (like planning) are over worked. Once again I think it is a matter of priorities. IGO is correct that the Counci comes up with a lot of the “needs”. I am not sure why and it appears that they don’ know what the costs are. Mayor is now wanting a new sustainablility board. Does anyone know how much that will cost? My guess is that the Mayor and Council don’t either. Besides the fab 4 will only meet with them once a year like they do the rest of the boards and commissions. I also somewhat agree with IGO on the City manager’s role in all this. He serves at the favor of the 4 Council members who suport him. So he has to be political as well. Is it time for Kirkland to have a strong Mayor form of government? We can vote them in and we can vote them out. Thoughts anyone?
Hey Bob: Where’s the $12mil?

By: I got out...

I got out... — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:09:51 +0000

The problem is not fat in the regular, basic department budgets. While the budget process may not have a name like “zero based budgeting” or the Redmond thing it is reviewed and questioned by a lot of people. It takes a great deal of staff time in each department. Kirkland is always looking for ways to make the budget process tighter because if the Finance department can get the departments to need less money, it makes their job of balancing the budget easier. The Kirkland budget process and on-going department spending monitoring is pretty tight compared to other cities I have seen. The spending impacts happen at the decision making point. Do we want to have a tree program, do we want to have an on-line parks registration system, do we want to have another parks maintenance person, do we want to remodel this old building, do we want to approve this union contract? These decisions are all made by the Council and all have interest groups. The Council is the one making these decisions and the City Manager implements the decisions for the Council on a day-to-day basis.

BYW - Bob I agree with KKB that you make some good points but they get lost in the stuff like $12M…

By: Gail

Gail — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:10:02 +0000

Igo,
Consultants seem to limit the number of city employees that would be needed or they lessen the workload on those already there to allow for more work to be done.
kbb,
Zero based budgets sound like a good way to monitor if a department is needed.
I hope the council is using these ideas (and more) in their deliberations over the budget.

By: kirkland busy body

kirkland busy body — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:37:51 +0000

Kenneth,
Either you work for the City or are a contractor wanting to bid on the work!
Seriously, I don’t think you or I know what the real City need is. I work for a company that requires all divisions to do a zero based budget. In other words: how many people are needed (read cost) and what addtional resources do they need to do the tasks assigned (cost)? While there may very well be a need for new space I ask the questions I am asked at my company. Why? Again it starts at what really needs to be done? These questions are at this time answered. I guarantee that if they build it they will fill it!

By: Kirkland Kai

Kirkland Kai — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:20:03 +0000

Downtown Condo,
Thank you for the links to those websites. I love it when people are so helpful to eachother. This is a good community despite the troubles everyone else is talking about. What the council does is not reflective of me, my friends or the people who care enough to give an opinion here.

By: Kenneth

Kenneth — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:16:07 +0000

To Kirkland Busy Body,
I don’t know which city you are talking about but the City Of Kirkland is in dire need of more space as we are overflowing into the halls! What makes you say we don’t need the space?

By: I got out...

I got out... — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Downtown Condo Dweller is right on about sometimes needing to hire consultants to have the Council believe staff (sometimes citizens need to hear from a consultant as well). Many times they are used responsibly also…using consultants lets you not have to hire staff to get large projects done.

Annexation is a good example. Staff did the work a long time ago and people didn’t like the numbers (they can’t be that large is what I remember hearing). So, this time they used a consultant. On the other hand, this time the process was much larger and more detailed so they never could have kept they books, paid the bills, processed utility bills AND done all the work on the Annexation the Council and citizens wanted (what about like this, what about like that) without more staff if they didn’t use a consultant. I am sure they worked a lot of long nights on this even with a consultant. Consultants can be a good way to manage varying workloads if it is done correctly.

By: kirkland busy body

kirkland busy body — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:17:03 +0000

Bob,Bob,Bob,
You had me hooked in #1 till you started quoting huge numbers. The only one I agree with is the shortfall number because it was published. I actually think it has been revised to as much as $17mil. Please direct me to where you found the $12 mil a year. I am not a defender of this City Government. I just want to make sure I have all the facts before I drink your coolaid!
The reasons for the shortfall are numerous. I’ll give you overspending is a huge cause. There has also been a huge drop in retail sales tax due to the downturn in the construction industry, automobile sales and other consumer spending. There wasn’t anyone including you during your 3 minutes who predicted the decline in these taxes nor the rapid increase in energy and medical costs. Let’s talk property taxes. You rant and rave about how bad they are. I remember Council Member Sternoff breaking down how much the City of Kirkand gets as a percentage of your total tax bill. As I recall it was less than 15%. The rest goes to the State, County, Schools, and voted debt like parks, ems, etc. I will gladly pay my $1400 a year ($120 a month)to the City to make sure I get Police and Fire showing up when I call as well as reasonably clean parks and all the other things that are available to me from the City.
I agree with #2. I would think that if these one time positions are really necessary then budget for them and evaluate what current positions can be eliminated.
I agree with #3. The rehabilitation of the old hope link building is more feel good than financially sound. As per #2 the City may not need the space!
I wonder about #4 too. I know there is a need for expertise that the City can’t afford to hire full time. It does appear that there are a whole bunch of these guys around. I wonder what the yearly expense City wide is for consultants?
I don’t fully agree on #5. The life span of a bond is relatively short and provides the City with the ability to not use funds for things with longer life span like buildings or park land. I think the City has done a relatively good job in going to the voters to decide on the bigger ticket things.
I’m with you on #6. This is pure need.
I’m with you on #7 and don’t know why this can’t be done on right now. Maybe it is and we haven’t seen it.
I’m with you on #8. There is only so much money and that only buys so much. Union contracts are a tough one. I think the City is stuck here and hopefully there will be an awakening by the Unions that the City only has so much money before it cost their members some jobs.
I would add a #9. That is efficiency. This City has spent a whole bunch of money on upgrading computer systems (as they should)and other technology. I would like to see the payback in terms of reduction of personel etc.

By: DowntownCondoDweller

DowntownCondoDweller — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:39:18 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly with the suggestion that Kirkland stop hiring so many consultants, but I do not think it is necessarily because the staff wants to or does not believe they can do their jobs.

From several meetings I have attended and things I have read and heard I get the clear impression that consultants are hired because of the Council’s predilection for studying things to death. So the staff and boards and commissions believe that they have no choice but to seek outside verification of their ideas or the belief is that the Council will not listen to them. That perception combined with easy access to funds to hire them make for an expensive way to run a government.