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Page A-2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016
Commission will host public
hearing on Monday
By GORDON WEEKS
gordon@masoncoun com
The Shelton City Commis-
sion will host a public hearing
on revenue sources for its pre-
liminary $48.6 million budget
for 2017 at 6 p.m. Monday in
the Shelton Civic Center.
The final public hearing is
scheduled for Dec. 5. The city
is slated to adopt the 2017
budget on Dec. 27.
The commission on Monday
heard a presentation on the
preliminary budget by City
Administrator Ryan Wheaton
at its work session.
The city is projecting a 6
percent increase in tax rev-
enue, for almost $7.1 million,
in 2017, Wheaten said. The
city expects its general fund to
increase by 3 percent to $13.2
million, he said.
Debt is a concern, Wheaten
said. In 2017, the city is pro-
jected to spend $270,000 each
month in debt payment, he
said.
Wheaton said he believes
the city won't have a problem
making that payment.
In his first preliminary
budget as city administrator,
Wheaton wrote in the introduc-
tion that the city is still feeling
"effects of the prolonged local
recession." He pointed out the
loss of 200 jobs when Olympic
Panel Products shut down op-
erations in June, and the loss
of 270 Simpson Lumber Co.
Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
The City of'Shelton received a federal grant of $698,200 for the right-of-way and design of
a park-and-ride facility near the northern entrance to town next to State Route 3. The city
has spent $411,370 of that money with neither the design nor right-of-way completed, and
might have to pay the money back if the state doesn't allow the project to move forward.
jobs in April 2015. The commission will face walks capping Shelton Creek
"Throughout 2016, eco- decisions on the fate of three in downtown Shelton.
nomic indicators showed that major public works projectsIf the city abandons both
Mason County continues to lag that have been sitting on the the downtown creek and park-
behind peers throughout the shelf, one of them for 17 years, and-ride projects, it will be
state," Wheaten wrote. "While "These projects will steer forced to pay back $474,523
neighboring counties continue where we go next year" on the in grant money it has already
to rebound, and state indica- budget, Wheaton said. spent on those projects.
tors are improving, unemploy- The three projects under "This is an unfortunate sit-
ment in Shelton and Mason consideration are the stateuation that Shelton has found
County remains problematic. Route 3 park-and-ride lot next itself in," Mayor Gary Cronce
Specifically, as Mason County to the downtown's northern said about the uncompleted
hit 8.1 percent unemployment entrance, "safe route" improve- projects. He said there is no
in July, compared to a state- ments around Evergreen El- one person to blame for it.
wide 5.8 percent." ementary and replacing side- "This next phase in Shel-
ton history will not be pleas-
ant::or easy," Cronce said. He
added, "We need to be truthful
and honest and realistic about
what we do in the future."
The city has to examine its
priorities while choosing proj-
ects to fund, Cronce said.
"We've got to stop borrow-
ing money for infrastructure
projects that are not needed,"
the mayor said. He thanked
Wheaton for being "truth-
ful and having a realistic ap-
proach."
Cronce said he supports the
completion of the park-and-
ride lot on state Route 3. The
city has been talking about
getting that done for 25 years,
he said.
"I think we've got to pull
that one off," he said.
Wheaton said he has ap-
proached Mason Transit Au-
thority about providing finan-
cial help to build the park-and-
ride lot.
Regarding city public works
projects, "When we say we're
going to get things done, we
get it done," Wheaton said.
"We don't shelve them for a
year, or a decade."
In the introduction to the
preliminary budget, wheaton
wrote that the city has no of-
ficial economic plan.
"In 2017, we will lay the
groundwork from which new
economic prosperity will be
built in our community," he
wrote. "This means that eco-
nomic development will be an
area of focus, and resources
must be utilized to plan for the
future of Shelton."
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