Seattle's 2004 budget, which already lost $6 million when the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the city, not Seattle City Light ratepayers, had to pay for the cost of streetlights, could soon take another hit. That's because in drafting the budget, the Seattle City Council didn't account for some $24 million in refunds to City Light ratepayers the city could be required to pay over the next few years. If a King County Superior Court judge rules in the city's favor, the council could be allowed to pay the money back over four years--an annual hit of about $6 million. Any cuts the council makes will be on top of $4 million in other cuts it must make to cover money the council borrowed last year from the city's emergency subfund--some $10 million in all.
It gets worse. The mayor already froze millions of dollars in human-services funding that the council had earmarked. Moreover, according to the mayor's spokesperson Marianne Bichsel, the council hasn't allocated any money at all to operate the new central library and several new community centers scheduled to open next year. Bichsel says, "$15 million [in cuts] is probably the best-case scenario," referring to the $10 million and the new operating expenditures.
barnett@thestranger.com
Seattle's 2004 budget, which already lost $6 million when the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the city, not Seattle City Light ratepayers, had to pay for the cost of streetlights, could soon take another hit. That's because in drafting the budget, the Seattle City Council didn't account for some $24 million in refunds to City Light ratepayers the city could be required to pay over the next few years. If a King County Superior Court judge rules in the city's favor, the council could be allowed to pay the money back over four years--an annual hit of about $6 million. Any cuts the council makes will be on top of $4 million in other cuts it must make to cover money the council borrowed last year from the city's emergency subfund--some $10 million in all.
It gets worse. The mayor already froze millions of dollars in human-services funding that the council had earmarked. Moreover, according to the mayor's spokesperson Marianne Bichsel, the council hasn't allocated any money at all to operate the new central library and several new community centers scheduled to open next year. Bichsel says, "$15 million [in cuts] is probably the best-case scenario," referring to the $10 million and the new operating expenditures.
barnett@thestranger.com
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