Get Involved: 2021 Proposed Budget
As Mayor, my main focus each fall is to present a draft budget to our City Council for the coming year.
This financial plan tells a story of how we, as public servants, will provide services that foster a safe, vibrant, livable and inclusive community that aligns with our city’s strategic plan.
Soon after the pandemic reached King County, we started to forecast significant dips in our revenues. We needed to reduce our services to match our expected revenue levels, and that meant taking a hard look at the community’s priorities and making some very difficult decisions.
We focused on maintaining our core city obligations – public safety and public infrastructure. This required cuts in all other areas.
While extremely difficult, these early proactive decisions mean we have more options than facing dramatic budget cuts that many jurisdictions across Washington state and the nation are now currently facing.
Earlier this week, I presented my proposed 2021 budget to the City Council.
My top priorities including a focus on creating a safe and equitable community for all, investing in our parks and open spaces, and transportation improvements.
Please share your input! We're hosting a virtual community meeting Oct. 7 - RSVP here. A full schedule of our budget process is available at issaquahwa.gov/2021budget.
Results: Annual Financial Audit
The Washington State Auditor's Office completed its audit of the City's 2019 financial statements. The City received an unmodified (clean) audit opinion – with no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies.
View their full presentation to the City Council online.
Celebrate Safe: Halloween
Last week, I joined Issaquah's neighborhood champions to brainstorm options for safely celebrating Halloween during the pandemic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, participating in traditional trick-or-treating (where treats are handed to children who go door-to-door), is a high-risk activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As our community plans for fall celebrations, here are ideas for lower-risk activities to help protect you, and your families, friends and community (try BOO-ing your neighbors)!
Yours in Service,
Mayor Mary Lou Pauly
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