Dozens of Everett city employees may get cut due to new budget
Oct 22, 2024, 11:20 AM | Updated: 6:47 pm
Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin. (Photo: City of Everett)
(Photo: City of Everett)
Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said the new city budget could impact 55 city workers.
Franklin said 31 jobs would be cut while 24 would be negatively impacted through reduced hours and furloughs.
In her budget address reported by the Everett Herald, the changes would cross 13 departments. The 2025 budget would drop the number of full-time equivalent employees to 1,280.
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The layoffs and reductions would help balance the city’s $12.6 million general fund deficit in 2025, and reduce another $10 million from the 2026 deficit.
The deficit is projected to increase to $32.9 million by 2030.
Despite the shrinking budget, Franklin said the city is seeing strong revenue in self-sustaining departments like transit and utilities, with increased construction and manufacturing bringing in higher-than-expected sales taxes and business and occupation taxes.
“The general fund challenges we’re experiencing are unfortunately common, impacting nearly all property tax-reliant entities,” Franklin said in her address. “That includes cities, counties, fire districts and our public schools. These challenges are symptoms of larger issues related to how public services are funded in the state of Washington. But we live in a very dynamic city, with compassionate and hard-working residents and a thriving, diverse economy. Everett is strong.”
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Earlier this year, Everett voters rejected a proposition that would have imposed a property tax levy that would have decreased the budget cuts.
“Though voters decided against the levy lid lift, their decision provided clarity,” Franklin said. “Our residents want to maintain current tax levels, which means discontinuing and reducing lines of work we know residents benefit from, but we simply cannot afford.”
In her address, Frankin also highlighted a possible new multipurpose stadium that would host the Everett AquaSox as a project that could bring millions of dollars to the city. Construction of that facility would not be reliant on general government funds.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
