Ephrata council reviews 2019 budget, seeks new member
Charles H. Featherstone/Columbia Basin Herald Ephrata City Council member Justin Kooy, who was just elected in November 2017, is resigning his council seat after announcing he and his wife are moving 1,000 feet out of town.
EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council is considering a $16.3 million budget for 2019, an increase of about 4 percent over the city’s 2018 budget.
This is despite a steep decline in grant revenue and spending following the completion of the Basin Street Water Main replacement project, according to City Administrator Wes Crago.
“The local economy is strong, sales taxes are at records and home sales are strong,” Cargo told members of the city council at a regular meeting in Wednesday.
In dollar terms, the proposed budget is 15 percent lower than last year’s, but without the water project, the city is actually proposing to spend 4 percent more.
The proposed budget includes funds for a nearly 3 percent raise for city employees, two new police cars, a new in-pool video screen for movie nights at Splash Zone, a new front door for the city’s library and a dog park which Ephrata is “slowly building,” according to Crago.
In addition, Crago said Ephrata will receive a grant to repave much of Division Street, allowing the city to replace the sewer line underneath.
The proposed $16.3 million is spread across 35 funds, from the general fund which pays for day-to-day city operations such fire service, police and administration, to major funds like the water fund, the sewer fund, the street fund and so forth.
According to Crago, 36 cents out over every dollar — about $5.9 million — goes to water and sewer, with another 21 cents out of every dollar — roughly $3.4 million — paying for police and fire protection, and another 15 cents — or $2.5 million — for construction.
The bulk of the city’s revenue, nearly 44 percent, comes from water and sewer fees, with the rest made up of a mix of fees, sales and property taxes and state and federal grants.
The council is expected to vote on the final budget at its next meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 5.
The Ephrata City Council is also looking for a new member. Justin Kooy, who was elected to the council just in 2017, is being forced to resign after a buying a house a mere 1,000 feet outside the city limits.
Kooy started attending city council meetings and then ran for a council seat after being cited for operating an Airbnb out of his home in violation of city ordinances. The Ephrata City Council has since changed the rules allowing for Airbnb operations.
Anyone interested in serving out the rest of Kooy’s time on the city council is encouraged to submit a letter of interest to City Hall no later than Friday, Dec. 7.
To be eligible, you must be 18 years of age or older, registered to vote in Ephrata and a resident of the city for at least a year.
Crago said the council is scheduled to select a new member at its Dec. 19 meeting.