Yakima council axes subsidies

YAKIMA -- In a surprise move Tuesday, the Yakima City Council pulled the plug on subsidies for a host of civic groups, then took it up a notch by rejecting a proposed contract with the firefighters union.

Reacting to Monday's warning by City Manager Dick Zais of a projected $2 million shortfall in the city's 2011 budget, the council was unanimous that subsidies for outside agencies, such as the Yakima Symphony and the Fourth of July Committee, had to go.

The subsidies are distributed among nine groups, ranging from as little as $500 for the Sunfair Parade to $10,000 for Citizens for Safe Yakima Valley Communities.

The council did not cut funding to two of the largest outside agencies: the Committee for Downtown Yakima, which received $50,000 this year; and the Yakima County Development Association, which got $30,000.

The downtown group also avoided cuts last year, when the council reduced subsidies for most of the outside agency groups by 50 percent.

This time, council members said they simply couldn't ignore the realities of having to close a projected $2 million shortfall after closing an even worse gap of $4 million last fall.

"These are difficult times ... We're all feeling it," Councilman Dave Edler said.

"We just don't have the money," Mayor Micah Cawley added. "And I don't see that we'll have the money."

The vote to cut subsidies was unanimous, but the decision to reject a proposed contract with the local unit of the International Association of Fire Fighters was anything but.

On the table was a proposed contract settlement with the IAFF that Zais had been negotiating for months. The proposal called for a wage freeze this year, but a 2 percent increase next year. The city also agreed to increase its share of firefighter health-care costs by 6 percent.

The 2 percent increase in a deficit year was simply too much for most of the council, resulting in a 4-3 thumbs-down that leaves firefighters the choice of either accepting the rejection or seeking binding arbitration.

Leading the charge was Councilman Rick Ensey, who noted that nearly 70 percent of the city's budget goes to public safety, which includes the fire department.

"At the rate this continues, it will be all of it," he warned.

Joining him were council members Cawley, Bill Lover and Dave Ettl, who said he was disappointed firefighters were seeking a wage increase, however small, in a deficit budget year.

"We can't spend it if we don't have it," he said, adding, "As elected leaders, it's our job not to do the nice thing but the right thing. The right thing right now is to hold the line."

Voting for the contract were Edler, Kathy Coffey and Maureen Adkison.

Randy Raschko, head of the Yakima firefighters union, was not immediately available for comment and it was not clear if the union would demand arbitration.

Such an option is not available to the civic groups that got defunded Tuesday, apparently without warning.

Reached by phone Tuesday evening, Citizens for Safe Yakima Valley Communities Chairman Ken Marble said he wasn't aware of any cuts. His group is receiving $10,000 this year from the city.

"This is news for me -- It's going to make it very challenging for us to try and continue our work," he said. "I'm disappointed to hear this. For what the city was getting in return for our service, I think we were a pretty inexpensive date. I'm just sorry to hear it."

He said the $10,000 his group received from the city this year made up a large portion of the group's roughly $40,000 annual budget.

"We're going to have to reassess, see what we're going to do," he said. "Our goal would be to go out and seek other sources of funding."

The group works to bring together civic clubs, private and public agencies, schools, churches and local governments in a coordinated effort to improve public safety.

Allied Arts of Yakima Valley Executive Director Jessica Moskwa echoed the same sentiment. Last year, funding to the group was cut in half to $2,667.

"It certainly puts more stress on our limited staff to find support," she said. "We hope some funds from the anti-gang initiative will be directed to youth programs. I don't know if that's is in the plan, but I think youth programs are preventative measures ... Fine arts can be part of that."

* Yakima Herald-Republic reporter Phil Ferolito contributed to this report.

Amounts funded this year, to be cut next year

* Allied Arts of Yakima Valley -- $2,667

* Citizens for Safe Yakima Valley Communities -- $10,000

* Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce -- $2,950

* Hispanic Chamber of Commerce -- $2,950

* Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) -- $2,000

* Seasons Music Festival -- $4,000

* Yakima Fourth of July Committee -- $2,750

* Yakima Sunfair Festival Association -- $500

* Yakima Symphony Orchestra -- $5,000

Yakima-Morelia Sister City Association -- $1,333

Total = $34,150