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Wednesday, December 24, 2014 | 75 cents
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The Enumclaw High gymnastic team won Dec. 17 with a score of 148.15
Weather The forecast for today, Wednesday, calls for mostly cloudy skies and a chance of showers with highs to 43 and an overnight low to 30. The forecast for Christmas is for showers with partly sunny skies and a high to 40.
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Governor pitches biennial spending package By Dennis Box Editor
Let the Olympia money chase begin. Gov. Jay Inslee met with Sound Publishing reporters and editors Thursday at the Bellevue Reporter office to discuss the executive branch’s 2015-17 budget proposal. Inslee’s office released the budget documents last week, which will be taken up by the Legislature when the regular session convenes Jan. 12. The coming session is scheduled to end April 27. The governor’s budget document states, “Our private sector is growing and unemployment is at its lowest levels since 2008. State revenue collections are rebounding, too — after several years of steady declines, revenue projections have increased in each of the past four quarters.” Inslee tempered that good news by noting the economy is rebounding at a “much slower pace than after previous recessions. The latest
projections for the 2015–17 biennium indicate revenue growth will remain modest for the foreseeable future.” Looming over the budget and both the executive and legislative governing branches is the September contempt ruling by the state Supreme Court. The nine judges unanimously ruled the state has failed to fulfill its Constitutional duty to fund education. The constitutional clause cited by the court in the 2012 McCleary v. Washington is: “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex.” The Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara A. Madsen wrote,”Sanctions and other remedial measures are held in abeyance,” to allow the Legislature to comply by the end of the 2015 session. The governor’s document states: “The state is under court order to live up to its Constitutional obligation to
Gov. Jay Inslee answers questions about his 2015-17 budget from reporters and editors at the Bellevue Reporter office Thursday. Craig Groshart, Bellevue Reporter adequately fund basic education.” Inslee’s budget allots $2.3 billion to its education plan. The budget cites funding for reduced class sizes and makes the statement his plan “fully funds basic education a full year ahead of sched-
City Council OKs budget with tax, utility increases By Kevin Hanson Senior Writer
In one of their final, official acts of 2014, members of the Enumclaw City Council authorized the spending of nearly $36 million during the year to come. Council members authorized a 2015 budget on Dec. 8, then – in keeping with council tradition –
ule.” There is also a freeze on resident undergraduate higher education tuition. A statement released by state Superintendent Randy Dorn on Dec. 17 said, “Gov. Jay Inslee’s education budget proposal falls far short
much of City Hall’s time and attention during the final quarter of the year. Preliminary discussions began even sooner, starting in August. In the end, the council adopting a spending plan that covers all the bases and meets legal requirements. And, despite the cancelled their final scheduled hours and energy invested, there meeting of the year. was still some haggling in By law, Washington’s the final minutes prior to cities and towns must adoption. CITY OF submit a balanced budget The 2015 budget before the end of the calincludes a general fund endar year. Most commuportion totaling slightly nities, like Enumclaw, handle more than $9 million. The that task in early December. general fund is where the mostAdopting a municipal budget visible city functions exist – police is a daunting task that occupies protection, services for children
ENUMCLAW
of what is needed to comply with the orders issued by the Supreme Court in McCleary v. Washington. If adopted, it would move this state one step closer to a constitutional crisis.”
SEE INSLEE, PAGE 2
and senior citizens, parks and recreation offerings and things that keep the city operating on a day-to-day basis. Outside the general fund are essential functions like garbage collection, water, sewer and natural gas distribution. All are “enterprise funds” where the money spent has to match the dollars generated without general fund subsidy. The bottom line in the 2015 budget is that Enumclaw residents will pay more to live in town. Some key financial elements of the 2105 budget document include:
SEE BUDGET, PAGE 2