Painful Budget Cuts Topic of Study Session in Yakima Tuesday

Yakima City officials continue to search for ways to cut the city budget without having to cut important police and fire positions. The council is holding a study session at Yakima City Hall Tuesday to talk about the budget.

WILL FINAL DECISIONS BE MADE TUESDAY?

However no final decisions are expected to come from Tuesday's meeting but city leaders are expected to give some direction to city budget officials. City officials have spent months talking about the city budget hearing from city department managers, the Yakima Fire and Police Chief among others. The chiefs proposed cutting Firefighters, Police Officers even closing Fire Station 92. Each department is required to identify 10% of the budget to be cut.

IT'S A SIMPLE PROBLEM...NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER EXPENSES

What's the problem? City officials say the city budget in 2023 is short $2.5 million and increases to $3.7 million in 2025. Three Yakima City Council members issued a statement last week saying they were against any cuts that involved police or fire departments. Instead council members Mathew Brown, Patricia Byers and Holly Cousens say they're determined to save money in other areas.

THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS STAND AGAINST CUTS OF FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS

Last week they issued a news release that says "they firmly believe that frontline emergency responders, including police officers and firefighters "play an indispensable role in safeguarding the community and responding to critical situations effectively."
Councilmembers Byers, Cousens, and Brown say they "firmly stand for funding frontline emergency responders, including police officers and firefighters, and pledge to exhaust all viable options to protect the community's well-being."
The Tuesday Yakima City Council study session starts at 5:00 pm at Yakima City Hall.

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