Mattawa passes 2014 budget

MATTAWA - The Mattawa City Council has approved a budget of $6,200,828 for 2014, slightly less than the $6,358,656 budget for the current year.

Taxpayers may review the entire budget at city hall. They should note, however, that the proposed budgets in any one year are usually not spent.

Because of state accounting rules, cities must show zeros at the end of the year for each fund, City Clerk Robin Newcomb said. Each one of the funds has a starting balance from funds left over the previous year.

The council has budgeted:

• A current expense fund of $1,663,526.
• A street fund of $860,607.
• A police vehicle fund of $53,231.
• A capital improvement fund of $246,000.
• A water operating fund of $1,084,764.
• A water bond debt fund of $107,246.39.
• A customer deposit fund of $17,000.
• A water bond reserve fund of $79,333,63.
• A sewer operating fund of $803,000.
• A sewer debt fund of $468,300.
• A water emergency fund of $58,150.
• A sewer emergency fund of $56,550.
• A sewer reserve fund of $78,000.
• A water capital improvement fund of $16,720.
• A sewer capital improvement fund of $43,050.
• A solid waste fund of $458,880.
• A water system construction fund of $105,000.
• A library fund of $1,470.

In other business recently, the council appointed Betty Webster to a vacated council seat. The action brought to a close a strange bit of intrigue involving two seats.

Fabiola Hernandez was appointed to a vacant seat earlier this year. For some reason, she did not run for the seat in the ensuing election, and the voters chose Wendy Lopez over Webster.

Then another seat opened up. Webster and Hernandez both sought the appointment, and the council chose Webster.

Webster and Lopez have been serving on the civil service commission and have had to give up those seats.