University Place councilor says city has largely paid down credit-line debt; most to be cleared next budget cycle

City Council Member Steve Worthington said he and city leaders have substantially reduced University Place’s use of its line of credit and expect to pay off nearly all remaining debt in the next budget cycle.

Worthington, speaking during remarks to the City of University Place, said the city had used “about 90%” of its credit line when he first joined the council more than a decade ago and that officials have worked to reduce that burden. “We worked to reduce that debt, and we are about, in this next budget cycle, to pay off, all but a small fraction of that debt,” he said.

The council member said lowering reliance on short-term borrowing has allowed the city to “move our community forward in some very positive ways.” He cited long tenure in local government—about 30 years—and 11 years on the University Place council as background for focusing on fiscal management.

Worthington framed the payoff as the result of sustained effort rather than a single measure. He did not specify the dollar amount of the credit line, the exact remaining balance, or the specific budget line items that will fund the payoff.

No motions, votes or formal council actions related to the payoff were presented or recorded in these remarks. Worthington also praised city staff for carrying out council policy and invited residents to contact him by phone or email with concerns or ideas.

The remarks amounted to an update on fiscal progress rather than a proposal for new policy or an official budget enactment; details about the accounting treatment, timing within the budget cycle, and remaining balance were not specified.