March 21, 2009
Fairwood Feasibility Consultants Answer
Hard Questions at Second Public Meeting
What Does a New City Look Like?
Issues with startup costs and governance were also covered during the Q&A session. A citizen had concerns about where funds would typically come from when a new city begins. Young explained that it is common for new cities to establish a line of credit until revenue streams begin.
Another common practice is to begin conservatively with a small staff and small facilities so overhead costs can be kept to a minimum. Rather than purchase or build facilities, cities often lease a low-cost facility such as a closed school building or an affordable storefront space.
In Maple Valley's case, McCarthy confirmed that Young's description was their approach when they became a city. When Maple Valley incorporated in 1997, they established a line of credit to cover initial expenses, and facilities were leased to accommodate city staff. They continue to rent a storefront space for their offices.
"We took out a loan authorization, but we didn't use much," said McCarthy. "It amounted to about just a couple hundred thousand, and we paid it off before the end of that same year."
Another citizen noted that the consultants used the term "robust" several times for Fairwood and wanted to know more about how the city government might function. Young explained that cities are configured in two ways: 1) A Mayor-Council form of government, and 2) A Council-Manager form of government.
For more information on this topic, Click Here to link to the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC) website, where a table compares and contrasts the two forms of government a city can utilize.
Another Look at Maple Valley
As Maple Valley's Finance Director McCarthy repeatedly emphasized that they constantly assess the budget, the word "conservative" dominates his discussion in Maple Valley's approach to fiscal issues.
"If you start small, you can control your costs," said McCarthy.
One exception to Maple Valley's "conservative" approach concept was a substantial jump in the level of police service for the city.
"Our contract with the King County Sheriff's Office has been a really good deal for us," said McCarthy. "We ended up quadrupling our coverage. We used to have only one half of a sheriff patrolling our area; now we have at least two sheriffs patrolling our area all the time. It's been so good that we haven't needed to change that level since we started our contract with them."
Revisions Appreciated
As the public meeting came to a close, one citizen told the consultants that he was initially disappointed and that the Study's First Draft contained too many issues that needed to be addressed. "I thought I would tear you apart this time. But Draft 2 is excellent work."
Check Back Often
Please check back to Fairwood Community News for updates on dates, times and locations for the Boundary Review Board's Public Meetings. We also look forward to your dialogue on this important issue.
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