Snohomish County calls budget meeting

The Snohomish County Council has called for a special public meeting Thursday to discuss the 2009-10 budget.

Council Chairman Dave Somers requested the meeting with County Executive Aaron Reardon, all elected officials and appointed department directors after worsening revenue projections indicate the county's anticipated budget shortfall will grow from $9 million to $20 million.

Reardon released his 2009-10 biennium budget in September. That budget called for cutting about 80 county positions. County sales-tax revenues are down dramatically as well as earnings from investments.

Somers said Tuesday that the economic picture has worsened significantly since Reardon released his budget.

The council objected to not being included in Reardon's budgeting process and said it would start from scratch to draw up a new budget. It directed elected officials and department heads to submit proposed budgets with 7 percent cuts and 9 percent cuts.

The public meeting will be from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Henry M. Jackson Board Room, Eighth Floor, Robert J. Drewel Building, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett.