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Budget talks focus on demolition funds, tourism equipment and Main Street grant reboot
Summary
During the board’s budget session, staff reviewed a $40,000 demolition line in code enforcement, commissioners discussed raising it to accelerate demolitions, and tourism/Main Street leaders sought contingency funds for new tables, an eight-passenger golf cart and a $50,000 historic building improvement grant program.
Budget discussions at the May 8 Mason Board meeting covered code enforcement priorities and tourism/Main Street funding requests.
Code enforcement: Staff said the code enforcement budget carries a $40,000 line item for demolition of dilapidated structures, an amount unchanged for several years. Commissioners acknowledged a backlog of properties—some city-owned—that need demolition or stabilization and discussed increasing the demolition budget (one commissioner suggested raising the line to $60,000) to allow contracting out harder cases and enable the city crew to move faster. Staff cautioned that the code enforcement operating budget is small; if work must be contracted out the costs could rise.
Tourism and Main Street requests: Tourism Director Caroline Bailey outlined two items for contingency funding (supported by the department's transient room tax revenue): an estimated $10,000 to replace heavy event tables in the Cox Building with lighter plastic tables and roughly $20,000 for a new eight-passenger gas golf cart to support Old Washington tours, noting gas models ease maintenance for public works. Bailey said these purchases would come from tourism contingency funds rather than the general fund.
Main Street director requested a $5,000 increase to the Fourth of July budget for inflatables, performers and additional production costs and proposed reinstating a $50,000 Main Street historic building improvement matching grant (50/50 match) to help property owners renovate downtown facades. Commissioners said they would take the requests under advisement and plan follow-up budget sessions before July 1.
No final budget votes were taken; staff said they will convene additional budget work sessions to finalize numbers.
