Post Falls unsettled on tax hike
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
POST FALLS — After two budget workshops and the public hearing on Post Falls' fiscal 2019 plan on Aug. 21, it remains unclear if the City Council will ask for a property-tax increase.
Finance director Jason Faulkner said after Tuesday night's hourlong workshop that no more workshops are planned and he'll await the direction of city administrator Shelly Enderud and Mayor Ron Jacobson on what the council wishes to propose.
Cities can take a property-tax increase of up to 3 percent per year under state law. The public hearing on the budget will be Aug. 21 at City Hall at 6 p.m.
A 1 percent hike would generate $105,203, 2 percent $210,406 and 3 percent $315,610, according to estimates provided by city staff.
"As the city expands and there's more taxpayers, shouldn't (the budget come) without an increase?" council member Joe Malloy asked.
Whether the city portion of residents' tax bill increases or decreases largely depends on home valuations and levy rates, staff told council members. It's possible, they said, that the city tax bill could go ultimately down even if the council approves a tax increase.
Much of the workshop focused on Police Chief Pat Knight's request to bring in two victims advocate positions under the General Fund after they've been funded by grants since 1993.
"The grant was only supposed to be for four years to start, but we kept reapplying until they finally cut us off this year," Knight said.
Knight said maintaining the positions is his top priority, so he refrained from asking for a new police officer. The school district, however, plans to fund an additional school-resource officer position.
Jacobson asked Knight if the council would see a "double-whammy" situation with additional officer requests next year as a result, and Knight said he plans to ask for two officers next year amid the city's rapid growth.
Knight also defended the department's vehicle take-home policy and 911 dispatch center that is separate from Kootenai County's.
He said the department gets more life out of its vehicles with the take-home program, it increases police visibility in neighborhoods and officers take pride in having their own vehicle because it's their office. Officers must live within 10 miles of the city to utilize the program.
Council member Alan Wolfe said, based on research he's done, he supports continued use of the take-home policy.
A 2 percent cost-of-living allowance (COLA) and merit increases of up to 2 percent are proposed in the budget.
"Since a high percentage of the employees get the full merit increase — basically a 4 percent raise — why not call it that?" Wolfe said during the July budget workshop.
Human Resources director Teresa Benner said she doesn't want to see the merit system be eliminated because it helps justify the size of the increase.
Knight agreed, adding that the merit system gives employees goals to strive for.
"The goal for us as supervisors is to make sure all people receive the merit increases because that makes a successful team," he said.
Enderud said a "star performer" status has been explored with salary increases to further reward those who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Salary hikes for the mayor and City Council members are not planned.
The budget includes $135,000 to lease snowgates on snow removal equipment so snow berms in driveways can be reduced.
The city currently offers a berm reduction program for those with disabilities and senior citizens, but the gates would extend the service to all residents. The drawback to snowgates is that it would extend the snow removal time citywide.
The council has decided to propose bringing back the community development director job as a separate position after that and the public works director jobs were consolidated into the public services director position a couple years ago.
"To me, it's truly not a new position because it's one we've had in the past," Jacobson said in July. "In light of the (building) activity, it makes sense to consider."
City attorney Warren Wilson said the community development director and public works positions require different skill sets so it's difficult for one person to do both jobs.
Enderud thanked existing staff for pitching in during the interim until the leadership role is filled.
The parks department has requested a parks planner because director Dave Fair said such duties have eaten up a lot of time with the existing staff.
"The backlog is killing us," he said.