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Mountlake Terrace DEI commissioners debate training, events and where budget items should sit
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a proposed DEI budget that includes training, events and consultant work; discussion focused on whether staff-led items should be in the city manager’s budget, sustainability of proposed amounts and transparency for council and the public.
At their meeting commissioners reviewed high-level budget proposals for the DEI commission that included line items for events, training and consultant support. Staff said the commission has roughly $2,500 in discretionary funds after current fiscal-year expenses, while the council previously approved a larger allocation that covered a staff-wide DEI training and strategic-plan work.
Commissioners discussed several budget questions: which items should appear as commission line items versus in the city manager’s central budget (staff suggested large staff‑led items such as the broad training program might fit better in the city manager’s budget); whether event and outreach money should be shared with other commissions; and the sustainability of multi-year funding if the commission requests larger amounts annually.
A specific example cited in the meeting: organizers said that an external Juneteenth contractor budget included roughly $10,000 for food; staff and commissioners noted that some large event expenses are already budgeted elsewhere and that the commission’s own event budget of $5,000 would require partnering or cost-sharing to achieve larger objectives.
Why it matters: commissioners said the commission needs funding for community events, outreach and targeted training but must balance requests with city budget practice and public perception. Commissioners and staff suggested it may be clearer to place large staff-directed items (training, consultant-managed strategic-plan activities) in the city manager’s budget and keep commission funds for events and small grants.
Next steps: staff will meet with consultants to refine cost estimates and present a revised budget; commissioners requested clearer breakdowns of past training costs and recommended capturing expense rationales to present to council during the biennial budget process.
