La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

The $7.4 million in revenues in the Town of La Conner’s 2024 preliminary budget will be the largest ever and is matched against projected expenditures of $8.6 million. The $1.2 million deficit will be covered by the $5.9 million fund balance. The year’s theme is “plan, prioritize and perform” Mayor Ramon Hayes states in his budget cover letter.

Staff are prioritized with all receiving a 4.3% cost of living increase, except the unionized public works employees. Their contract is in negotiations. The code enforcement budget is $73,604. a 20.9% increase, almost all in wages and benefits.

The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office contract is $384,885, a 6.2% increase.

Compensation for new Mayor Marna Hanneman will be set by the town council passing an ordinance at its Nov. 14 meeting. In 2023 Mayor Ramon Hayes took his $29,527 in benefits. Hanneman’s package will be completely different, Finance Director Maria DeGoede said Tuesday. “You cannot even compare them,” she said. The dollar amount will be in the council’s Nov. 28 meeting packet.

The town’s expenditure budget combines capital expenses, such as $100,000 for a dump truck, $200,000 for Maple Hall’s new heating system and the fire station’s heating system, $80,000, and roof, $300,000, with operating expenses.

Street projects include sidewalk improvements, $25,000, asphalt repairs, $40,000, First Street engineering, $40,000 and the Morris Street overlay, $850,000. This will be paid for from a state grant, but the application has not yet been made and only design would be done in 2024, explained Brian Lease, public works director.

Revenues include tapping a $100,000 “reserve” from the 2019 cell tower lease package

Next week’s Weekly News will have a longer analysis of the budget’s 15 program funds.