Preventative cuts help save West Richland $200,000
WEST RICHLAND -- Action News spotted positive budget news out of West Richland.
A year after major changes swept through city hall, West Richland is in a position we don't often see: a budget in the black.
"We weren't going (to use) reserves in 2012, and we balanced the budget in 2012," says Mayor Donna Noski.
How did it happen? By making cuts early before the budget went south. It started with the decision to make all city employees pay a portion of their medical benefits. It wasn't popular with those workers, but KEPR learned it saved West Richland more than $45,000. There's also no more vehicle allowance for department heads, saving an additional $15,000.
Those savings are the tip of the iceberg. As you may remember, two years ago the mayor eliminated the city administrator position. The savings to the budget? More than $150,000 every year.
To keep this story balanced, KEPR asked local folks if they noticed a difference in the way West Richland is run without a high-priced city administrator.
Kristen Gustin manages Baum's Chocolates and has lived in West Richland for five years. She's happy with the change.
"If anything, I see more hands-on activity by anybody who's working in the city," she tells Action News.
More than $200,000 was saved with West Richland's cuts; allowing the city to balance the budget two years in a row without further cuts to things like public works.
West Richland has no dramatic cost-cutting planned through the end of the year, but if inflation continues to rise, more belt-tightening may be around the corner.
A year after major changes swept through city hall, West Richland is in a position we don't often see: a budget in the black.
"We weren't going (to use) reserves in 2012, and we balanced the budget in 2012," says Mayor Donna Noski.
How did it happen? By making cuts early before the budget went south. It started with the decision to make all city employees pay a portion of their medical benefits. It wasn't popular with those workers, but KEPR learned it saved West Richland more than $45,000. There's also no more vehicle allowance for department heads, saving an additional $15,000.
Those savings are the tip of the iceberg. As you may remember, two years ago the mayor eliminated the city administrator position. The savings to the budget? More than $150,000 every year.
To keep this story balanced, KEPR asked local folks if they noticed a difference in the way West Richland is run without a high-priced city administrator.
Kristen Gustin manages Baum's Chocolates and has lived in West Richland for five years. She's happy with the change.
"If anything, I see more hands-on activity by anybody who's working in the city," she tells Action News.
More than $200,000 was saved with West Richland's cuts; allowing the city to balance the budget two years in a row without further cuts to things like public works.
West Richland has no dramatic cost-cutting planned through the end of the year, but if inflation continues to rise, more belt-tightening may be around the corner.
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