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Green River reviews draft budget; staff propose EMS fund, flag water-project accounting and May 10 insurance deadline
Summary
At a special April 29 budget workshop, Green River staff told council general fund revenue sits near forecast while overall spending remains below budget; councilors discussed creating a dedicated EMS/fire donation line, reconciling bond-funded water project accounting, and deciding on employee health coverage by May 10.
Green River City Council members held a special budget workshop on April 29 to review the draft fiscal-year budget, discuss how to track EMS donations, resolve accounting entries on a major water project and set a timeline to decide on employee health insurance.
The meeting opened with staff explaining the 22-page packet and how the budget report’s color coding corresponds to year-to-date percent used. "Total revenue is at 98.94%," a staff presenter said, noting the city is about 83.33% through the fiscal year but aggregate expenditures are at roughly 61.24% of budget, driven down by underspending in many lines even as several individual accounts appear over target.
Why it matters: staff and council framed the workshop as an early review before a public hearing and the June final budget adoption. Councilors pressed for clearer accounting so earmarked donations and capital projects are visible to auditors and the public.
Key proposals and discussion
- EMS/fire donations: Staff and councilors agreed the city needs specific budget lines for fire and EMS donations and fundraising. Multiple speakers said EMS expenses have been coded to the general fund in past years and recommended creating a discrete line so donor-restricted funds are used for the intended purchases and are auditable.
- Water and project accounting: Staff cautioned that the accounting software’s project handling is producing misleading overages for the large water project. The presenter said project and bond funds must be reconciled manually because the software currently shows project balances in the wrong lines; auditors will review entries to ensure bond-funded capital is reported separately.
- RAP/parks and youth sports: Councilors discussed uses of the RAP (recreation/parks) tax and whether day-to-day maintenance should shift back to the general fund, leaving RAP for larger projects. The recreation supervisor asked for permission to pilot a lower registration fee and assist in re-starting girls’ softball, which councilors supported for discussion on a future council agenda.
- TRT/resort tax and county share: Staff and councilors discussed recent legislative changes to transient-room/resort tax collections and the county’s role in allocating infrastructure dollars. Speakers suggested approaching the county with concrete, project-specific requests (curb and gutter, walkability improvements) to secure a share of newly available funds.
- Employee health insurance: The city has a near-term decision. Staff said SelectHealth’s renewal was quoted at a 16.13% increase while a PEHP option showed roughly a 17% increase but with different coverage and network implications; dental was quoted at about 9%, and an optional vision add-on was estimated at about $81 per month per employee. Staff noted May 10 as the deadline to finalize renewal or switch, and proposed surveying employees quickly about out-of-state care impacts before making a change.
What’s next: Council asked staff to reconcile the water project accounting and to prepare clearer, donor-restricted fund lines for EMS and other donations. Staff will return budget adjustments and a recommendation on health-insurance options for council action before the May 10 deadline. The special meeting adjourned by motion at the end of the session.
