Coronavirus has Snohomish County staring down $26 million budget shortfall
Apr 14, 2020, 7:50 AM | Updated: 10:13 am
Lynnwood Mayor Nicola Smith and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. (KIRO Radio, Hanna Scott)
(KIRO Radio, Hanna Scott)
The coronavirus isn’t just hitting your family budget — it’s also hitting local governments, with Snohomish County now looking at a $26 million budget shortfall.
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Snohomish County Council will meet this week to discuss a hiring freeze and additional measures to offset the loss of tax and other revenues during this health crisis.
The county might have to slash the budget by 10% to handle the expected revenue shortfall of $26 million. To put that figure in perspective, $24 million equates to the pay and benefits of about 220 county employees.
The council is looking at a 60-day hiring freeze, or even a hiring freeze that would last the rest of the year.
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“These are unique times, and they call for preemptive action on the part of Snohomish County. With so many people thrust out of work and many industries shutting down, we cannot have business-as-usual in the county,” County Executive Dave Somers wrote in a press release.
