Posted: April 22, 2009 10:53:00 PST
Members of the Bellingham community are encouraged to submit efficiency and budget savings ideas as City officials consider ways to deliver important public services with increasingly limited resources. Bellingham residents are invited to submit ideas via a short electronic survey posted on the City website at www.cob.org. The survey will be available on-line through May 1.
City officials are looking for ways to reduce redundancies and become more efficient, in addition to reducing or eliminating programs and services, in light of local and nationwide economic difficulties.
Bellingham Chief Administrative Officer David Webster said City revenues in most areas are continuing a downward trend, as anticipated late last year. City officials now project more than a $5 million shortfall for 2010 and beyond, which could mean eliminating as many as 50 to 75 employees from the City's workforce of about 800.
In addition to steps already taken to balance the 2009 budget, Mayor Dan Pike and the Bellingham City Council will begin working together in May on the 2010 budget. Webster said that by June the City Council will be considering options and weighing the costs and benefits of various budget reduction proposals, with final decisions expected in the fall.
Webster said the Mayor and City Council are committed to finding innovative cost savings to reduce the number of layoffs that are necessary. But with about 66% of General Fund expenditures going for employee salaries and benefits, he said, the City will not be able to go into 2010 without additional reductions in force.
City of Bellingham Budget Reductions Survey
More information about City Financial Challenges
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Media Contacts:
David Webster, Chief Administrative Officer
Janice Keller, Communications Manager
Mayor's Office, 778-8100
