External agencies contracting with the city of Sun Valley are now able to plan for what they can do—and what they might have to do without—following the City Council's adoption Thursday of the city's fiscal 2011-12 budget.
The council approved a budget of $5,087,835, with Councilwoman Joan Lamb voting against it.
To make the budget balance, many requests by external contracting agencies were not funded in full.
Highlights of major allocations include: Sun Valley Marketing Alliance, $350,000; Mountain Rides, $275,000; Blaine County dispatch, $117,280; Ketchum Parks and Recreation Department, $20,000; Sustain Blaine, $10,000; Fly Sun Valley Alliance, $10,000.
The city is spending about $370,000 in economic development—that is, allocations for Sun Valley Marketing Alliance, Sustain Blaine and Fly Sun Valley Alliance. Mayor Wayne Willich said that wasn't enough.
"If you don't spend money to promote (your town), every once in a while the marketplace agrees with you," he said in an interview. "You have to spend some money ... promoting your city."
The budget maintains six months of operating costs in reserves.
"That's very strong," Willich said.
Lamb did not return a call seeking comment on her "no" vote by press time, but during this summer's budget discussions, she repeatedly called for the city to take the 3 percent increase in property taxes allowed under state law, saying that money is needed to adequately fund the city's operations and services. The final version of the budget does not include the property tax increase.
"I thought Joan Lamb had some real courage in stepping up," Willich said. "She was being very pragmatic."
Willich had the 3 percent increase in his original draft budget but said he would not fight the new version supported by other council members that left it out.
"It's a nice sound bite to put out, saying, 'I wasn't for taking the 3 percent tax,'" he said.
He said the amount was equivalent to $30 per year on a $1 million home.
"It's pocket change," he said. "I caved. Why fight it?"
Rebecca Meany: rmeany@mtexpress.com
