Blaine City Council authorizes mid-year budget adjustments

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Last month, Blaine entered into its third financial quarter for the year, and according to Blaine finance director Jeffrey Lazenby, the city’s budget is largely on target with expectations.

Since passing the budget in December 2016, the city’s general fund contained 50.82 percent of the original budget estimate. Revenue was up by 5 percent in the second quarter in comparison to 2015 and expenditures were up 16 percent compared to 2015 and up 2 percent compared to 2016, according to a city staff report.

In conjunction with the mid-year budget report, Blaine City Council voted to approve a budget amendment, which will allocate an additional $661,000 for needs and services not originally approved in the annual budget. The funding will be pulled from six separate sources – uncommitted general funds, grants, equipment reserves, private contributions, one-time R.E.D. funds and capital funds.

A total of 10 items were included on the approved list, most notably $350,000 for Sweet Road waterline improvements. The budget amendment also allocates $100,000 for demolition costs of condemned buildings (costs will be recouped through property liens); a combined $70,000 for Lincoln Park trail improvements and the Cain Creek Park acquisition; $70,000 for Cain Creek stormwater improvements (75 percent of costs are covered by a Department of Ecology grant); $30,000 for street improvements west of Peace Portal Drive ($15,000 is covered through a Port of Bellingham grant); $20,000 to provide signage at the community pavilion; $14,000 for Blaine Public Works vehicle repair; $5,000 to update the city’s critical area’s map and $2,000 to hire a consultant to design business recruitment brochures. In addition, the city also approved a civil engineer position, which will be funded in the 2018 budget.

The city’s budgeting cycle is due to the shift from an annual to a two-year biennium budget. The change requires approval from the city council in the form of an ordinance. A vote will take place during 2018 budget process. If it’s passed, they’ll begin preparing the first biennial budget to start

in January 2019.

To view the city’s full mid-year budgeting report, visit http://bit.ly/2wQpB7B.

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