Thank you for Art UnCorked success
On Sept. 11, the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Mercer Island Visual Arts League and Mercer Island Arts Council, the city of Mercer Island and Seattle Uncorked to host the second annual Art UnCorked.
The event was a tremendous success, bringing residents throughout the community of Mercer Island together for an evening of wine tasting and viewing arts and crafts. Music was provided by On the Rock – Patrick Daugherty and The Archtops Rhythm and Jazz Quartet.
I would like to extend a sincere “thank you” to our wonderful sponsors and especially to our many volunteers, without whom this event would simply not happen.
If you missed the event this year, please look for it in September of next year. Again, thank you to all who participated and volunteered for this event. It was with great pride that we watched residents and businesses gather together as a community on the streets of Mercer Island.
Ralph Swanson
President – Board of Directors Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce
Granbois using scare tactics on budget
I am really troubled by the Traci Granbois ads attempting to scare the public into believing that the city is facing a $1.6 million deficit. A simple read of the city’s biennial budget, available on the city website, combined with a rudimentary knowledge of budgeting processes, makes it evident that Traci’s ad is put out for nothing more than electioneering shock value. This tells me far more about the candidate than it does about the reality of our city finances.
My read of the budget shows $62.2 million in revenues for 2015 versus $61.1 million in expenditures, and for 2016 $61.7 million in revenues are projected with $60.4 million in expenditures. If I’m not reading this wrong, these numbers do not indicate deficits.
The city budgets on a two-year cycle to ensure adequate funding for public safety, parks, streets, pedestrian facilities, sewers etc. The philosophy of the current City Council is to maintain lean budgets while effectively stretching our tax dollars to provide for these important services. According to a recent MI survey, 88 percent of respondents believe the city is providing the right level of services. Yet, compared to other Eastside cities, MI has consistently done more with less, balancing frugality with meeting the needs of the community.
As a citizen, that’s the way I want it.
I have been in finance and accounting for most of my adult life. I can tell you that lean budgets look to the future and by their nature require hard choices. A lean budget anticipates that expenses will grow before revenues. Tax increases should always be a last resort. Knowing that a potential deficit may loom at the end of a two-year cycle is an indicator that the current budget is being kept lean and allows for decisions to be made to address the future challenge.
The misleading information Granbois is feeding you comes from a discussion by council regarding the possibility of a deficit that may need to be addressed in the next cycle, going out as far as 2018. The budget for that cycle has not yet been developed.
The current 2015-2016 city budget is balanced and performance against it remains lean and strong. We have little debt and a strong bond rating. We have rebuilt the reserve that was drawn down when tax revenues sagged in the 2008 downturn. That is what I call fiscal responsibility. Please ask our candidates to stick with the facts, not scare tactics.
Carole Branom
Get informed, then vote
An important local election is fast approaching. Historically too few of us bother to vote. Let’s pledge that this year we’ll not just shrug our shoulders and say, “the future’s not ours to see.” Let’s shape our future!
Some new, exciting and amazingly capable candidates are vying for positions on the City Council and on the School Board. We have an opportunity to get to know them on Oct. 14, 7-9 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center. Then, once informed let’s vote for those whom we feel will best represent our interests, our hopes for the future on this treasured Island. We owe it to ourselves.
Fran Call
