For the first time since 2012, the city of Vancouver could add some taxpayer-funded employees to its payroll.
In the proposed 2017-2018 recommended budget unveiled Monday evening, there is money carved out for seven new taxpayer-funded positions: an assistant city attorney, a senior civil engineer, two park maintenance staff, two positions focused on right-of-way maintenance and a surveyor.
Even the city’s parks are expected to be green again by 2018.
During the Great Recession, the city slashed staff and the services it provided, including a hiatus on watering parks, but money for irrigating the parks would be restored by the proposed budget.
“It’s a well thought out, balanced budget,” said Vancouver City Councilor Jack Burkman. “As (City Manager Eric Holmes) said, we are looking at a budget and future forecasts that are balanced over the next six years. That’s new and the first time this century.”
The total number of full-time employees is expected to climb by more than 33 in the 2017-2018 budget, but most of the positions are paid for from other revenue sources.
The increase in full-time employees still only gets the city back to 2000 levels, however.
“The city is still managing finances conservatively and, although there will be some hiring, there will only be about the same number of city employees that we had in 2000 by the end of 2018,” Burkman said. “The city population has increased by about 25 percent over that time.”
By the end of 2018, the city is projected to have about 1,050 full-time employees.
The 2017-2018 proposed budget is $1.004 billion, consisting of a $787.5 million operating budget and a $216.8 million capital budget.
Some of the park department’s $25.5 million capital budget will go toward finishing the downtown waterfront park. Money also will be spent from the general capital fund of $20 million toward finishing the Vancouver Fire Department’s fire stations 1 and 2.
The fire department also could receive money to remodel some of its restrooms at certain fire stations. The city of Vancouver recently hired an outside investigator to consider issues of gender-based discrimination at the fire department. The inquiry is ongoing, but emails revealed that women did not always have a place to change with the expectation of privacy while on duty.
The city’s property taxes are expected to increase $9.70 a year for a home valued at $276,000, assuming a 10.4 percent increase in assessed value of the property, according to the city manager’s proposed budget.
Overall, Vancouver residents could see their monthly utilities such as water and sewer increase by 3 percent a year in 2017.
Burkman noted that the city’s document is more than 1,900 pages and will take time to dig through and understand.
“Today was just one opportunity for us to hear from the city manager and staff and ask questions,” he said.
There will be a public hearing on the city’s proposed budget on Nov. 7.
