Bainbridge Conversation

By Rachel Pritchett
rpritchett@kitsapsun.com
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND

Urging teamwork and dialogue to replace last year’s protracted and divisive budget deliberations, Bainbridge Island Mayor Darlene Kordonowy presented her proposed 2008 budget to some 60 members of the community and the Bainbridge Island City Council on Monday night.

In calling for renewed dialogue, the mayor even went so far as to explore the Greek and Indian understandings of the word.

Not contained in the $55.3 million spending plan was major money for a new senior center.

Only last month, council members heartily endorsed adding that to the city’s list of capital projects, along with some new soccer-field surfaces at Battle Point Park.

The fields made the cut.

The exclusion of monies for the cramped center prompted senior center Director Jane Allan to urge council members to set a construction date.

“Unless we have a commitment, it’s hard to move forward,” she said.

The remake of the popular Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center, which has a membership of about 1,100, made it onto earlier versions of a capital budget over the summer. But it was pushed into the future when the project list was pared down. In September, faced with strong public pressure, the council endorsed its addition.

Kordonowy said the city now is faced with the number of potential huge projects. The $20.6 million Winslow Way makeover tops the list, but others in the pipeline could include a parking garage and a police/courts building.

City budget chief Elray Konkel called for a “pacing” of the multimillion-dollar projects.
Representing an 8 percent growth over 2007, the budget blueprint called for funding for a deputy planning director, and a new school safety officer, two new city staff positions, $800,000 more in staff salaries, and for someone to write a strategic plan for the city.

It’s written so that the city takes the lead on affordable housing, rather than outside groups, and has makes room for a new city department called “General Government.”
It also includes an additional $900,000 in debt service.

“We are borrowing money,” Konkel said.

Kordonowy and her budget chief spoke of potential new eventual revenue sources for the city that included a streamlined sales tax on sales made on the Internet and the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax.

Kordonowy hinted the Legislature might have have a budget line for Waterfront Park improvements, though nothing’s settled yet.

The mayor also explained a streamlined new budget process. Rather than budgeting by department, money needs are fitted into a group of “strategic goals” she’s set up.

She also encouraged the council, which in the next three months will dissect her plan, to start the discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of the current mayor/council organization of government and perhaps look at alternatives.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 8:59 pm by bainbridge-conversation and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.