Seattle budget cuts are up to the mayor, City Council warns

The Seattle City Council is setting aside Wednesday evening to hear from residents about a proposed $13.3 million midyear budget cut.

The public can talk, but the council says it's powerless to respond. In fact, Budget Committee Chairwoman Jean Godden has been making it a point to say the council can't do anything about the cuts, which Mayor Greg Nickels announced Friday.

"The council does not determine these midyear cuts," she said Monday. "These decisions rest with the mayor."

A dozen people lined up Monday before the council to weigh in on the mayor's proposals, which would close the library system for a week this summer and put 100 other city employees on unpaid furlough for five days next year, among other cuts.

But Godden's disclaimer makes program advocates wonder if they're wasting their time. Even council members questioned why they were having hearings about something the mayor can do on his own.

"It's giving a false impression. Why are we even having a public hearing if we can't do anything?" said Councilmember Nick Licata. "I think it generates false hope."

Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis said he and other members of the mayor's staff plan to attend the council's public hearing. The mayor could still change his proposals before they take effect at the beginning of May.

When the council first learned of a $40 million budget shortfall for 2009, it planned meetings of four council members and members of the mayor's staff to discuss the cuts behind closed doors. Those meetings were canceled two weeks ago after the city attorney said they may violate the state Open Meetings Act.

The council approved the 2009 budget in November and authorized the mayor to spend a certain amount. The mayor doesn't need council consent to spend less now that the city is bringing in millions less than expected in tax revenue.

The City Council could try to influence midyear budget cuts with a vote. Members can't force the mayor to spend money but could use "budget provisos" to limit the use of some funds for specific projects. That line-by-line management would be labor- intensive, politically difficult, and ultimately probably wouldn't have any effect.

That leaves the council soliciting comments about something they don't technically control.

"We've already passed the budget," Godden said. "I think that because people do come and talk to us about this, they think that we are going to be the ones who are going to be doing it, but we are not."

Godden said hearing about people's priorities could be useful when the council starts work on the 2010 budget.

The situation frustrates those showing up to testify. Doug Barnes, is a computer technician for the Seattle Public Library.

He believes the mayor's plan to close libraries for a week in August will hurt low-income people who rely on the library for computers. He urged council members to take a stand. They didn't.

"I don't think they're doing all they can," Barnes said. "I think the council has more power than they're exerting."

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com