Tacoma is facing a $26 million dollar budget shortfall. That was the grim news Interim City Manager Ray Arellano delivered to the Tacoma City Councilduring a 2011-2012 budget update.
This is from a City of Tacoma news release:
“The General Fund budget, which pays for basic services such as police, fire, libraries and residential street repairs will require a new budget strategy to address the shortfall. With a stagnant local economy and rising costs, the city cannot work to close this gap without impacting all General Fund service areas, and the solution to the budget challenge will likely require staff reductions.”
Rob Carson writes in The News Tribune:
City Finance Director Bob Biles told the council that income from sales taxes, property taxes and business taxes are on a sharper-than-expected downward trend, while expenditures continue to rise.
According to Carson, the city is considering budget and job cuts as well as the possibility of raising fees.
