4 minute read
Council Goals & City Budget: Planning for our Future
BY TOM MERRILL, COUNCIL CHAIR
Yikes! Time moves quickly—seems only a short while since we approved the bi-yearly 2021–2022 budget. But here we are again, preparing the 2023–2024 budget.
Council Goals help guide the budget process. We just finished those now for the next bi-annual budget and you are able to find upcoming agendas and the complete list in the meeting minutes at www. snohomishwa.gov/AgendaCenter. Once approved, you will find the final budget on the City website (www.snohomishwa. gov/Budget) and it will be highlighted in the 2023 Winter Issue of the Snohomish Quarterly.
In this article I want to present just a few, representative initiatives we will work on over the next 2-year cycle. All are elements supporting one or more of the Five Essential Services - Utilities, Law Enforcement, Transportation, Parks, and Planning/Permitting.
Climate Resiliency
The City has an Emergency Management Plan to address many types of disasters. In the last few years, though, reports show extreme weather events becoming more prevalent. Effects of such events may not trigger the Emergency Management Plan but can have serious implications for vulnerable residents.
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The worst of these have avoided Snohomish—so far. But we have experienced extreme heat and threat from forest fires. (The Bolt Creek Fire is burning just 30 miles from here as I write this). City staff in partnership with the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management and the City’s Public Safety Commission, police department, fire district, and concerned citizens will (and are) working on measures such as succession planning in city government, business resiliency, Neighborhood Watch and neighborhood mapping, identifying resources in our city (the Senior Center and Food Bank, for example) and who among their neighbors may need those resources. Knowing and supporting your neighbors is a key ingredient in this plan and serves as a handy crime prevention opportunity as well.
Equipment Replacement
Following the Great Recession, the City began stretching out vehicle and
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Call or visit your local financial advisor today. Sterling Gurney, CFP®, AAMS™, CRPC™ Financial Advisor
602 2nd St Suite C Snohomish, WA 98290 360-563-1042
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Therefore, we will be working to create a capital replacement budget and developing a replacement schedule. Not something usually thought about but quite important to maintain safe and timely service to our residents.
Housing
Housing in Snohomish is both expensive and in short supply. Too many of our residents are stretched to make house or rent payments - if they can find a house or rental at all. It affects our residents at most income levels. Businesses are affected because employees have a difficult time living here, contributing to an ongoing staffing shortage. Panthers of all ages - those starting out, those starting families, those retiring - are having a hard time finding and/or maintaining housing.
There is not one solution, but many avenues to address the problem. The City Council is exploring many of them and will continue to do so. These include forming public/private partnerships for low-income housing, encouraging increases in housing stock for middle-incomes, and developing land use plans for the northern areas of town.
It’s a hard truth that Snohomish will continue to grow. But we will strive to ensure that doing so is managed by Snohomishites to benefit Snohomish and maintain the unique character we all love.
If you have questions about any of the above or want to know more, please feel free to call or email. Be glad to chat with you.
