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November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9
INSIDE • 3 How Does Shoreline Compare? • 4 Shoreline Property Taxes • 6 How Shoreline Spends Its Money
Special Budget iSSue
Investing in Shoreline’s future: Budget Summary
2010 balanced budget continues Operating Budget $34,420,223
essential programs and services Surface Water Utility $4,893,489
Capital Budget $41,507,105
by Robert Olander Operating budget highlights: Bond Debt Service $2,955,496
Shoreline city Manager property tax levy: The City Coun-
Shoreline’s 2010 Proposed Budget cil will maintain the same property tax Adoption of Budget and
is balanced and allocates $84 million levy in 2010 as in 2009—a 0% increase Property Tax Levy
to invest in services that make our com- —other than any new taxes collected as Monday, Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m.
munity a great place to live. We had to Shoreline City Council Meeting
a result of new construction. Taxpayers Mt. Rainier Room, Shoreline Center
make some tough choices, but we are pay approximately 10% of their total 18560 1st Avenue NE
proud of our work in balancing the property tax bill to the City and should Call the Agenda Line at (206) 801-2236
budget and setting a course to keep our not see a major change in taxes paid for or check online for more details.
community one that our residents and 2010 (see story on page 4).
businesses expect and deserve. personnel costs: The City’s per-
Our ability to keep essential ser- sonnel costs will decrease by 3.6%,
vices intact is due to the solid financial $517,865, from 2009 to 2010. We’re
policies that have been adopted by the controlling costs by eliminating three
Council in years past. Our City leaders positions and reducing seasonal and
had the foresight to create a “rainy day” temporary positions. The City’s required
reserve, which sets aside money in a contribution to the State of Washington
savings account to be used during eco- retirement system for employees was
nomic downturns to keep operations also reduced and City employees will
going. The balance of the fund was 30% not receive a cost of living adjustment
of our economically-sensitive revenues (COLA) for 2010.
(e.g., sales tax, development revenue, police contract: The 2010 King
investment interests) or about $6.2 County contract for police services is
million. Staff has recommended that expected to increase by 4.5% to a total
we use $1.6 million of that reserve dur- of $9.7 million.
ing 2009 and 2010. When the economy expenditure Reductions: Every
recovers, we will restore the reserve department had to make reductions to
funds spent. balance the budget. Departments re-
The 2010 Budget is 32% ($38.7 mil- duced their budgets by nearly $500,000
lion) less than the current 2009 Budget. in 2009. This included the elimination
The reduction is largely the result of the of seasonal and temporary staffing, a
completion of major capital projects. 20% reduction in training, eliminating continues on page two
Even so, our 2010 operating budget funding for major facility maintenance,
totals $34.4 million and is 3.4% lower and reductions in contracted services
than the 2009 Budget. continued on page 2
continued from page 1 develop a long-term financial strategy. City Council Goals
and operating supplies. In 2010 depart- After working for more than a year,
2009-2010
ments reduced their base budgets by the Committee presented its final rec-
ommendations to the Council in April. Goal No. 1
another $250,000. Information technol-
Implement the adopted Community
ogy improvements, contracted services, Their recommendations were consid- Vision by updating the Comprehensive
overtime and advertising were reduced, ered in planning the 2010 Proposed Plan and key development regulations
the Sister City Program was suspended Budget. in partnership with residents,
neighborhoods and businesses
and the planned replacement of major committee recommendations :
equipment and vehicles was delayed. 1. Sustain the commitment to efficien- Goal No. 2
Provide safe, efficient and effective
While Shoreline’s 2010 Proposed cies. Maximize budget savings and infrastructure to support our land use,
Budget is balanced through cuts and technology efficiencies and invest and transportation and surface water plans
savings from the “rainy day” reserve, partner in economic development op- Goal No. 3
we cannot continue to fund ongoing portunities. Implement the Economic Development
operations this way and put off long- 2. Keep services that preserve the qual- Strategic Plan
term maintenance and replacement. ity of life that Shoreline residents and Goal No. 4
Even after recovery from the current re- businesses value and deserve. Create an “environmentally sustainable
community”
cession, our long-term financial projec- 3. Adopt the Transportation Ben-
tions have indicated that the declining efit District ($20 vehicle license fee) Goal No. 5
Complete the projects approved with
revenues cannot continue to support in 2009 and in 2010 (or later) ask the the 2006 Parks Bond
the services that make Shoreline a great voters to reaffirm their investments in
Goal No. 6
community. Shoreline. Construct the Civic Center/City Hall
The primary cause of the gap is that 4. If service reductions are necessary, project
while property tax increases are limited preserve the quality of core services Goal No. 7
to 1% a year (in 2010 this is 0%), the such as public safety and keep services Construct the Aurora Improvements
costs of necessary resources such as that provide the greatest benefits to from 165th to 205th Streets
fuel, police services, asphalt and labor the community as a whole. Goal No. 8
are rising at a much faster rate. 5. Expand communication and out- Develop a Fircrest Master Plan in
partnership with the State
To address this, starting in 2003 we reach to better inform residents and
focused on service and budget efficien- taxpayers about Shoreline services, Goal No. 9
Develop a “healthy city” strategy to
cies. In 2007 the City Council adopted resources and needs.
ensure the community’s access to
phased-in revenue increases from the For more information about the needed human services
cable utility tax and the Seattle City committee, visit the Finance Depart- Goal No. 10
Light contract payment. In 2008, the ment on Shoreline’s website. Provide enhanced opportunities for
Council appointed an 18-member Citi- effective citizen communication and
engagement
zen Advisory Committee (CAC) to help
Controlling costs: Comparing city staffing
Number of City Employees Per Thousand Population
The 2010 Budget provides
funding for 137 regular full-time Federal Way 1.77
equivalent (FTE) positions, Burien 1.92
excluding City Councilmembers.
This reflects a net drop of three University Place 2.00
(3) FTE positions when compared Edmonds 2.47
to 2009. As the chart depicts,
Shoreline 2.52
a comparison of staffing to
population shows Shoreline’s Auburn 3.11
staffing levels below the median Renton 3.58
of comparable cities. These
ratios exclude fire, police, Kent 3.89
utilities and special program Kirkland 4.22
personnel from the comparable Olympia 4.56
cities to provide a more accurate
comparison with Shoreline. Lynnwood 4.92
Redmond 5.96
2 CURRENTS November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Quality of life: How does Shoreline compare?
Shoreline ranks nearly 10 % of residents rating city as an excellent or good place to live
percentage points above the av-
Bellevue (2007) 95%
erage, indicating that residents
enjoy a high quality of life. Shoreline (2008) 93%
When resources are scarce, we
like to ask the question, “How does Kirkland (2008) 85%
Shoreline compare with others?” When 86%
Redmond (2006)
reviewing the City’s budget, we use
benchmarks to identify efficiencies. Average 84%
Benchmarks compare one city’s data
Olympia (2006) 84%
with another city or several cities. This
issue of Currents has many examples of Burien (2007) 77%
benchmarks.
It’s also helpful to review and com- Renton (2004) 75%
pare satisfaction levels of our residents. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
One of the most significant ratings that
the City Council and staff examines is line families, neighborhoods and busi- bike (first mile of the Aurora Corridor
whether our residents believe Shoreline nesses have much of which to be proud. Project, three miles of the Interurban
is an excellent or good place to live. Shoreline’s budget is aimed at Trail, sidewalks near schools and on
It’s especially meaningful when protecting the quality of services that major streets)
outside sources affirm that Shoreline Shoreline families, neighborhoods and • Increasing open space and protect-
is a great place to live. In its July 2008 businesses want and deserve. ing our environment (South Woods,
issue, Seattle magazine ranked 110 of Since incorporating, your invest- Hamlin addition, Kruckeberg Botanic
the best-known Seattle neighborhoods ment has resulted in: Garden)
and surrounding cities on quality of life
• Making residents feel safe by increasing • Improving recreational and ath-
criteria. Shoreline was ranked first.
police protection in the community letic opportunities (Shorewood,
We believe these results are no
accident. Shoreline has a history of • Improving direct, local access to ser- Paramount, Connie King Skate Park,
coming together to make good things vices (permits, recreation programs, Twin Ponds, Shoreline Fields A & B)
happen. Nearly 15 years ago residents long-range planning) • Keeping homes safe from flooding
incorporated as a City so they could re- • Adding quick, responsive operational (3rd Avenue NW Project, 10th Avenue
ceive better, even exceptional, services services (responding to the sinkhole NW Project)
for their tax dollar. The City has worked at 6th Avenue NW and 175th Street, • Investing in infrastructure to encour-
hard to meet residents’ expectations annual snow/ice removal) age economic development and
and 14 years after incorporation Shore- • Creating more safe places to walk or investment (North City Business
District, first mile of Aurora Avenue)
• Caring for our most vulnerable
residents (funding the Senior Center,
Center for Human Services, Hopelink
Food Bank)
• Sustaining our quality of life through
partnerships (Neighborhood groups,
Shoreline School District, Shoreline
Historical Museum, Shoreline-Lake
Forest Park Arts Council)
CURRENTS November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9 3
Shoreline’s 10%: 2010 property taxes
in 2010 a typical homeowner Impact of the City’s Property Tax
will pay approximately 10% on Typical Shoreline Homeowner
of their total property tax
bill, which is approximately 2009 2010
$472 for the average home, CHANGE
to the city of Shoreline. the Home Value Home Value
$407,300 $59,100 = -15% $348,200
charts on these pages provide
Regular Tax Levy Rate Regular Tax Levy Rate
a historical perspective of the $0.95 $0.16 = 17% $1.11
city’s property tax rate and Total Regular Levy Paid to City Total Regular Levy Paid to City
a breakdown of Shoreline $387 0% $387
property taxes. Voted Bond Tax Levy Rate Voted Bond Tax Levy Rate
$0.21 $0.04 = 19% $0.25
Many homeowners will see a signifi- Total Voted Levy Paid to City Total Voted Levy Paid to City
cant reduction in the assessed value of $86 0% $86
their home this year. The City estimates Total Tax Paid to City Total Tax Paid to City
that assessed values in Shoreline will $472 0% $472
fall by at least 15% for 2010. However,
this does not mean significant drops in
property taxes for 2010. In some cases
property owners may pay less but they crease from one year to the next unless Shoreline Residents’ 2009
could also pay the same or more taxes voters approve a larger increase.) The Property Tax Allocations
in 2010 than in 2009. county assessor calculates the tax rate
People are often more familiar eMS 2%
by dividing the levy by the total value King county Flood $0.28
with rate-based property taxes where of all property within the jurisdiction. & Ferry 1% port district 2% $0.20
taxes go up and down with property $0.14 library district 4%
The tax rate is typically expressed in
values. However, Washington State is $0.42
dollars per $1,000 of assessed value.
one of only two states that do not have So if the total value of property
rate-based property tax; Washington’s Shoreline 10%
within a jurisdiction falls, the rate $1.16
property tax is levy-based. would increase to raise the same
This means a taxing district is al- amount of money. This is the situation
Shoreline Schools 40%
$4.54 King county 10%
lowed to collect a specified total dollar with Shoreline’s tax rates between $1.10
amount (the levy) per year. (In Washing- 2009 and 2010.
ton, this amount is limited to a 1% in- Shoreline Fire 14%
In response to the recession, the $1.65
City is not intending to increase the
levy. The City of Shoreline’s 2010
State Schools 17%
property tax levy is projected at $7.5 $1.96
City of Shoreline Property Tax Rate Per million, basically the same as that as-
$1,000 Valuation 2000-2010 sessed in 2009.
The estimated regular property tax One piece of land may
$2.00
fall under the jurisdiction
levy rate for 2010 is $1.11 per $1,000 of as many as 10 separate
$1.62
$1.52 of assessed value, an increase from taxing districts, each with its
$1.50 $1.43
$1.35 this year’s $0.95 per $1,000 assessed own levy rate. For example,
$1.28 Shoreline taxpayers pay nine
$1.24
$1.11
value. The increase in rate is a result
$1.00 $1.17 different taxing districts as
$1.10 of the decrease in assessed value, as shown above.
$1.02
$0.95 explained above. Homeowners may
$0.50 pay the same, more or less tax based
on the assessed value of their property
$0.00 and whether it stayed the same or
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
changed.
continued on page 5
4 CURRENTS November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9
Building our community:
Where Shoreline’s revenue comes from
In 2010 Shoreline projects it will receive $72.8 million in revenue from
a variety of sources. The City’s Capital Program is primarily funded with
grants and the use of fund balance (project reserves carried from one year
to the next).
Operating Budget
The City’s operating budget totals $34.4 million, of which 75% of the
funding comes from taxes and franchise fees. The largest sources are Gambling Tax
5%
utility, property, and sales taxes.
Utility Tax/
Franchise Fee/ Property Tax
Contract Payment 23%
24%
State Shared
Revenues Sales Tax
7% 23%
Fees &
Permits
7%
Transfer from Other Beginning Fund
Other Funds 5% 3% Balance
3%
Doing more with less:
continued from page 4
The City’s regular property tax levy
Comparing tax collections
provides resources to fund services to
One way to compare cities is by the amount of tax collected per
the Shoreline community. Not increas-
capita. To determine this figure, the total tax collected is divided by
ing the 2010 levy presents challenges the number of residents. The graph reflects data for 2008. During
since the City’s costs are increasing. 2008 the City of Shoreline collected $410 per capita from property,
In May 2006, Shoreline voters sales, gambling and utility taxes, and franchise fees.
approved $18.795 million in general
Per Capita Revenue Collection Comparsion
obligation bonds to fund park projects Property, Sales, B&O, Utility and Gambling Taxes, Franchise Fees
and open space acquisition. Property
University Place $342
owners are assessed a separate levy
Shoreline $410
rate of the repayment of these bonds,
Lakewood $415
which is estimated to $0.25 per $1,000 $415
Burien
of assessed value or $86 per year for an Federal Way $421
average valued home. Edmonds $514
For more information about Shore- Auburn $551
Shoreline + Fire district $605
line property taxes visit www.shore-
Lynnwood $749
linewa.gov or contact Shoreline Fi-
Kirkland $760
nance Director Debbie Tarry at (206) $768
Kent
801-2301, dtarry@shorelinewa.gov. Renton $788
Redmond $854
Olympia $942
0 $200 $400 $600 $800 $1,000
CURRENTS November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9 5
Your resources at work for you
2010 Proposed Budget
The City’s 2010 Budget totals $84.1 million. Nearly 50%, Total $84.1 Million
$41.5 million, represents the City’s capital budget. Examples Enterprise
of capital projects scheduled for 2010 include improvements 5.8%
($4.89 million)
to Aurora Avenue N from 165th to 185th, street pavement
maintenance and improvements to both Cromwell and
Hamlin parks. Approximately 41%, $34.4 million, of the total
budget is spent to provide a variety of services to Shoreline
residents and businesses like the ones pictured here.
Capital Operating
49.4% 40.9%
($41.5 million) ($34.4 million)
Internal Service
Debt Service 328,467
3.5% 0.4%
($2.9 million) ($0.3 million)
Street Maintenance ent - Zoning
Developm
Planning &
Field maintenance
Emergency Response
6 CURRENTS November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9
Recreation Programs - Camp Shoreline
2010 Operating Budget
Total $34.4 million
Community Services
4%
Public
Works Streetlights
10% Support Services
17%
Planning &
Development Services
8%
City-Wide &
Parks & Recreation Contingencies
13% 13%
Public Safety
35%
Environmental education
Give Graffiti the Brush Off Program
Shoreline Pool
Crime prevention - Police Auto Club Program Road Overlay Program
CURRENTS November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9 7
November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9
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Seattle, WA
Communications Program, Permit No. 248
(206) 801-2219, swill@shorelinewa.gov
17500 Midvale Avenue N.
Editing, writing and design: Susan Will,
Julie Underwood, Debbie Tarry, Patti Raider, Shoreline, WA 98133-4921
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Photos: Adam Buchanan and Parks, Recreation Postmaster:
and Cultural Services and Public Works staff.
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www.shorelinewa.gov
Shoreline City Council
For all Council members (206) 801-2200 council@shorelinewa.gov
Mayor Cindy Ryu (206) 801-2201 cryu@shorelinewa.gov
Deputy Mayor Terry Scott (206) 801-2202 tscott@shorelinewa.gov
Chris Eggen (206) 801-2206 ceggen@shorelinewa.gov
Ron Hansen (206) 801-2205 rhansen@shorelinewa.gov
Doris McConnell (206) 801-2204 dmcconnell@shorelinewa.gov
Keith McGlashan (206) 801-2203 kmcglashan@shorelinewa.gov
City of Shoreline Janet Way (206) 801-2207 jway@shorelinewa.gov
17500 Midvale Avenue N, Shoreline 98133
(206) 801-2700 Fax (206) 546-7868 Meeting Location
www.shorelinewa.gov Shoreline Conference Center, 18560 1st Avenue NE
Spartan Recreation Center Agenda Line: (206) 801-2236
18560 1st Avenue NE, Shoreline 98155
(206) 801-2600 Fax (206) 801-2600 Study Sessions: Mt. Rainier Room, first & third Mondays 6:30 p.m.
Shoreline Pool Business Meetings: Mt. Rainier Room, second & fourth Mondays 7:30 p.m.
19030 1st Avenue NE, Shoreline 98155
(206) 801-2650 Fax (206) 801-2650 Televised City Council Meeting
Comcast Cable Channel 21 & Verizon Cable Channel 37
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Tuesday noon & 8:00 p.m., Wednesday - Sunday 6:00 a.m., noon & 8:00 p.m.
20312 15th Avenue NW, Shoreline 98177 Meetings are available online at www.shorelinewa.gov
(206) 546-1281
Departments & Programs Shoreline Police Popular Numbers
City Manager’s Office (206) 801-2213 Emergency: 911 Arts Council (206) 417-4645
Code Violations (206) 801-2700 CleanScapes (206) 763-4444
Shoreline Police Station Comcast (877) 824-2288
General Info (CRT) (206) 801-2700
Chief Dan Pingrey Historical Museum (206) 542-7111
Human Services (206) 801-2251 1206 N 185th Street KC District Court (206) 205-9200
Jobs (206) 801-2243 Shoreline, WA 98133 KC Libraries
Neighborhoods & Volunteers (206) 801-2710 Richmond Beach (206) 546-3522
Shoreline (206) 362-7550
(206) 801-2253 Puget Sound Energy (888) 225-5773
Parks and Recreation (206) 801-2600 Eastside Police Neighborhood Center
Qwest (800) 244-1111
Officer Greg McKinney Ronald Wastewater (206) 546-2494
Permits, Zoning & Land Use
521 NE 165th Street School District (206) 367-6111
(206) 801-2500 Shoreline, WA 98155 Seattle City Light (206) 625-3000
Public Works (206) 801-2400 (206) 363-8424 Seattle Public Utilities (206) 684-5900
Projects & Engineering (206) 801-2470 Senior Center (206) 365-1536
Recycling (206) 801-2450 Westside Police Neighborhood Center Shoreline Center (206) 368-4122
Officer Leona Obstler Shoreline Fire (206) 533-6500
Street Maintenance (206) 801-2440
624 NW Richmond Beach Road Shoreline Water (206) 362-8100
Traffic Services (206) 801-2430 Shoreline, WA 98177 Transfer Station (206) 296-4466
(206) 546-3636 Verizon (800) 483-4100
8 CURRENTS November 2009 Vol. 11 No. 9
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