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THE LIBRARY | Dialogue continues with the King County Library System [3]
The banks’ bank | The Federal Reserve Bank is a Renton landmark; you just may not notice FRIDAY, OCT. 19, 2012 it. Carolyn Ossorio takes you inside [10]
Soccer playoffs | Read about playoff scenarios for all four Renton soccer teams [17]
By DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com
The films are shot and the judging is done. Now comes the easy part: enjoying the 18 films that were submitted after the epic 50-hour filmmaking competition in Renton FilmFrenzy V. And for the film producers and their cast and crew the payoff will come Tuesday, when
the Curvee Awards are presented at the Curvee Awards Gala at the Renton IKEA Peforming Arts Center at Renton High School, 400 S. Second St. The gala is free; it starts at 7 p.m. Jim Dever with KING-TV will again host the event. The stars of the shows are the four-minute films that will compete for Curvees and cash prizes. New this year are the edible treats before the gala. Taco Time will have its food truck, “Travel-
ELECTION 2012: Annexing west hill
Join Renton, stay same: That’s choice for West Hill
Mayor proposes $457M budget, some rate hikes By DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com
By DEAN A. RADFORD dradford@rentonreporter.com
West Hill residents will vote on an issue Nov. 6 that has been up for discussion for most of a decade – whether to annex to the City of Renton. Tuesday night at a forum at the VFW Hall on Renton Avenue that was filled to “If annexation overflowpasses, it will ing, residents become a priority for us to address all heard from the speakers of the transitional on both sides issues so that an of the issue, annexation date can along with be set.” Renton Mayor informational Denis Law presentations by City of Renton, King County and Fire District 20 officials. But if they choose to annex West Hill, which includes Skyway, Bryn Mawr, Lakeridge and other neighborhoods, they may not actually become Renton residents until sometime in 2014 or even later.
er,” that will give away food to the first 250 people attending the gala. Last year’s popular screening of all films entered in FilmFrenzy returns to the Renton Civic Theatre, 507 S. Third St., on Monday. The screening is 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. And still FilmFrenzy Week is still not done. Voting begins Wednesday at Rentonreporter.com for the People’s Choice Award.
Signs on Renton Avenue in Skyway mark the issues facing residents on West Hill in the Nov. 6 general election. Faced with declining support from King County, they’re deciding whether Renton is a better option for them. And, the fire department is asking for tax support to shore up its finances. dean a. radford, Renton Reporter The City of Renton still must formally accept the annexation and there’s no definite deadline in state law to take that action. The issue for the City of Renton is how to pay for services on West Hill. Under the current analysis, the city would fall about $1.3 million short of what’s necessary to provide daily services in 2013. That shortfall could increase to $4.5 million in 2023 because of the expiration of a salestax credit. The city also must plan for the transition of the city services to West Hill, including critical police and fire services.
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“If annexation passes, it will become a priority for us to address all of the transitional issues so that an annexation date can be set,” said Mayor Denis Law in an interview. In June the City Council voted 4 to 3 to keep the annexation measure on the ballot. Concerns about the impact on services for existing residents was eased because the city has time to figure out how to fill those financial gaps to pay for services. Tuesday night, the debate at the VFW Hall was impassioned and respectful. It was clear the residents are [ more Annexation page 16 ]
Renton’s economic picture has brightened, but Mayor Denis Law’s two-year budget proposal for the city that he presented Monday is still facing a $10 million revenue shortfall that will mean staff cuts, some rate increases and other cost-saving measures. Law’s overall city budget for 2013 and 2014 totals $457 million, with $202 million going to pay for the basic operations of the city, such as police, fire, parks and street repair. The City Council will begin its deliberations on Law’s budget at a Committee of the Whole meeting at 5 p.m. Oct. Denis Law 22 at City Hall. The $5 million project shortfall in each of the two years is due to the increasing cost of doing the city’s business, according to Law. In opening his budget address to the City Council, Law said the city has addressed many of the challenges brought on by the Great Recession, including significant drops in revenue from the sales tax and property tax. Those challenges aren’t over, he said, but he believes “we are on the course to recovery.” To help balance the budget, Law has proposed eliminating 25 city positions, mostly through attrition; two employees will lose their jobs. Since 2008, when the recession took hold, the city has reduced its workforce by 15 percent. The city will save $3 million during the biennium by increasing employee contributions to their medical costs [ more budget page 15 ]
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Creating the Curvee
FilmFrenzy V: See the films, cheer winners