And officials at the Benton Franklin District Health Department sat in uncertainty, hoping state lawmakers will step in to provide relief funding before cuts have to be made. We may get better service out of them. And if state and local governments try to circumvent the measure, perhaps by reintroducing a property tax on cars, Benham said he and I-695 sponsor Tim Eyman will team up again. He declined to give details of another initiative the duo might pursue, saying only it would offer some kind of property tax relief. You'd kind of think they'd take us seriously.
Administrators say they have no choice but to get serious about making budget cuts.
Roughly half of that goes to local transit districts, criminal justice, health and other programs. Ben Franklin Transit, which gets 45 percent of its budget from the state, could be hurt the most. Peltier said the district may have to cut its bus service in half and eliminate night service and busing to special events, such as the fair, hydro races and hockey games. West Richland, which could lose 26 percent of its budget, may have to limit library services, city council and staff training and travel and cancel memberships in organizations that lobby for the city and lure new businesses. Even so, Rabun said city staff is considering proposing ideas from cutting services at the library and George Prout swimming pool to closing a fire station on McMurray Street.