St. Helens budget committee weighs utility fee, furloughs and hiring freezes to close gap

St. Helens budget committee members spent nearly three hours on May 15 weighing alternatives to close a projected general-fund shortfall, including a proposed $42.10 monthly utility surcharge and smaller options that mix employee furloughs, pay freezes and new fees.

The committee and staff framed three primary scenarios: the original $42.10 public safety/general service fee; a $16 monthly fee combined with a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 12 furlough days per year for most staff; and a $13.70 fee paired with no COLAs, no furloughs and a hiring freeze. Staff presented additional revenue ideas such as a $10-per-month business-license charge on multiunit residential rentals, a $220-per-month commercial rental fee, and an event-ticket impact fee estimated at $4.95 per ticket.

The disc…