East Wenatchee tackles budget deficit with strategic adjustments, tough decisions

EAST WENATCHEE — Mayor Jerrilea Crawford issued a statement on Thursday addressing the City’s $900,000 budget deficit, highlighting the methods that are being used to determine how best to solve the issue

In a press release, Mayor Crawford said, “The City is taking a thoughtful and strategic approach to resolving this deficit while prioritizing essential services for our community. We are working closely with department heads, financial experts, and the City Council to address the deficit and will continue to explore ways to strengthen our financial outlook.”

What that has translated to so far, however, has been itemized decision-making that leaves some planned work undone, and at least some job cuts.

East Wenatchee’s General Fund is the primary source of operating costs for the City, and accounts for all of the revenue that the City takes in, other than special revenues reserved for other funds, such as debt service or major infrastructure.

But the money comes mainly from taxes, and much of it goes directly to the City’s operating budget. That’s the courts, law enforcement, and any other administrative roles within East Wenatchee. Inflation, population growth, increased demand for infrastructure, and public safety all put a strain on a system that would have to predict shortfalls in order to prevent them, and none of those things are predictable.

The City says that the measures that have been taken so far have reduced that deficit by a third already, and that they’re being proactive in trying to find even more ways to address the shortfall.

Some of the actions taken so far include eliminating a single position on the East Wenatchee police force — something only done after a thorough evaluation of response times and coverage necessities — and delaying some planned spending, like technology upgrades and vehicle purchases, postponed maintenance where it poses no safety or operational risks, and extending timelines for infrastructure improvements.

There’s still work to be done, and the City Council is working with a consultant to try and predict what can be predicted and to plan future budgets.

The City’s statement promises transparency going forward, saying “The City of East Wenatchee will provide updates as additional budget adjustments are considered. For further information on the City’s budget residents are encouraged to visit the City of East Wenatchee’s website at www.eastwenatcheewa.gov, where they can explore the current and past budgets.” 

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media