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Lake Forest Park officials warn of budget shortfall, ask residents for input on options
Summary
City Administrator Philip Hill told residents the City of Lake Forest Park faces growing costs that outpace modest revenue increases and said the city council is exploring long-term financial options and seeking public feedback.
City Administrator Philip Hill said Monday that the City of Lake Forest Park is facing financial challenges that could affect services including public safety, parks and community planning. “Weare facing real financial challenges that could impact the services you count on, like public safety, parks, and community planning,” Hill said.
Hill told residents the city receives only a small portion of property tax payments collected by King County. “Lake Forest Park receives only a small portion, less than 8¢, of every dollar you pay to King County,” he said.
Hill said a recent 1% revenue increase produced $34,500 in additional revenue this year but was far outpaced by rising costs. He listed increases of about $193,000 for insurance, $197,000 for jail services and $284,000 for 911 dispatch, and said the gap between revenues and expenses is becoming unsustainable.
The city is “exploring financially sustainable options,” Hill said, and is soliciting resident input through the citywebsite and other outreach.
Celia Sodal, identified in the meeting as a long-time Lake Forest Park resident, said she participated in the citybudget survey and described public priorities. “Residents want to preserve a strong, effective police department,” Sodal said. She said residents also ranked maintaining parks and trails, ensuring safe sidewalks near schools and hiring a grant writer among top priorities.
A staff member who spoke during the recorded message described operational challenges in the citypublic safety department, saying the department is short-staffed and the applicant pool is small. “Right now, our department is stretched thin. Were working hard to fill positions, but its tough. The applicant pool is small and pay competition is high. If staffing gets cut, response times will slip and we wont have the coverage our community needs,” the staff member said.
No formal council action or ordinance was announced during the message. Hill said the council and city leaders will work through options and invited residents to provide input.
For more information or to comment, Hill directed residents to the city website.
