Ephrata passes balanced budget

EPHRATA - Ephrata's 2013 budget was recently approved unanimously.

The $12 million budget represents "extreme efforts just to maintain 'status-quo' services," Mayor Chris Jacobson stated. The city expects increases in its property and sales tax of 2 percent, but is expecting a 22 percent decline in the amount of money it receives from state and federal sources.

The budget has remained within about $250,000 for the past four years, according to city records.

"Without the normal state funding, the city has continued to develop new efficiencies, downsized our staff and utilized our remaining personnel in new ways," Jacobson wrote. "This strategy is not sustainable, as the cost of materials has continued to rise faster than the city's growth in taxes and utility fees."

As part of balancing the budget, the city isn't filling two positions - one in the street department and a permit technician - next year, City Administrator Wes Crago said in a previous interview. One position was left vacant after the person retired, and the other position was vacant because the person took another job.

The council set three goals for the 2013 budget: To build reserves, to work with other agencies on gangs and implement a funding plan for all programs and projects for the next 10 years, Crago said.

"We've cut 26 percent over 11 years ... 26 percent is a lot of money to cut from a fairly small city that wasn't exactly overly fat to begin with," he said.

A nine-member community priorities team is examining the city's needs and creating priorities, according to city records. The team is also tasked with finding funding sources to pay for the needs.

Budget highlights

Revenue sources and changes

• Property tax represents 7 percent of the budget. It grew by 2 percent.
• Sales tax represents 8 percent of the budget. It grew by 2 percent.
• Fees, fines and charges represent 13 percent of the budget. They grew by 8 percent.
• State, federal and other government money represent 4 percent of the budget. They shrank by 22 percent.
• Utility fees represent 35 percent of the budget. They grew by 8 percent.
• All other revenue represents 29 percent of the budget. They didn't grow.

Funds

• Current expense is 30 percent of the budget and shrank by 4 percent.
• The street fund represents 3 percent of the budget and shrank by 68 percent.
• The library fund represents 2 percent of the budget and grew by 13 percent.
• The cemetery fun represents 1 percent of the budget and shrank by 21 percent.
• Parks represents 6 percent of the budget and grew by 13 percent.
• Tourism and promotion represents 1 percent of the budget and shrank by 4 percent.
• Street lights represent 1 percent of the budget and didn't change.
• Sanitation represents 10 percent of the budget and grew by 12 percent.
• The water and sewer fund represents 18 percent of the budget and grew by 8 percent.
• Money for bonds and mandates represents 24 percent of the budget and didn't change.