Spokane city budgeters look long term
By Doug Nadvornick, Spokane Public Radio
For years, the city has operated on a one-year budget cycle, meaning city budgeters go a year at a time in forecasting revenue and deciding how to spend it. Critics say that short term vision has caused the city to lurch from crisis to crisis.
Three years ago, former councilmember Steve Eugster pushed the city to move to a two-year budget, as the state of Washington does. Eugster argued that would force city officials to look farther ahead and do better planning. He convinced the council to move to a biennial system with the 2007-2008 budget.
But now, Tim Dunivant, the city’s Director of Management and Budget, says officials are extending their planning vision to six years.
“It goes along with our six-year capital plans. A lot of the planning we do is based on a six-year model. So that’s why we started doing our financial forecasting on a six-year basis, so we could incorporate things that were already part of those models.”
Dunivant is asking the council to revoke the order to move to a two-year budgeting system. He says the city will still budget on a year-to-year basis, but with a six-year forecasting system. Dunivant says Eugster endorses the new plan.
The council will give a first reading to the new ordinance at tonight’s meeting and debate and vote on it later.