Centralia City Council Approves Abbarno Motion to Earmark Funds From Levy Increase

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The Centralia City Council passed an ordinance at the end of its Tuesday meeting to officially adopt the 2019-2020 budget, the first biennial budget in city history, but not without a last-minute maneuver by councilor Peter Abbarno in response to a vote earlier this month to exercise the the city’s right to raise its property tax levy by 1 percent.

Abbarno made a motion to adopt the budget as presented, save for an additional $7,072.11 he wanted to add the Community Projects line item in the Special Appropriations section of the budget. That happens to be the exact same amount the property tax increase is expected to raise for the city.

After some clarification regarding the motion and brief discussion by councilors, Abbarno called the question, a motion used to end debate on a pending item. It passed 4-3, with councilors Luond, Coumbs and McGee also in favor.

“In all honesty, I made the motion because I really wanted to stand up for the taxpayers of Centralia and try to give them back the money,” Abbarno said Thursday. “We passed a balanced budget and used conservative revenue projections, so I was disappointed when the council voted to increase taxes. Rather than that money just going into the general fund, why not increase a community line item? It was my way of giving that money back, because I don’t think we needed it.”

Abbarno clashed with other members of the city council, including Mayor Lee Coumbs, during the debate over whether to raise the tax levy that took place during the Nov. 13 council meeting. During that meeting, Coumbs implied that Abbarno was opposing the increase to earn political points.

Tuesday, it was Coumbs who proved to be the swing vote, as councilors Rebecca Staebler, Joyce Barnes and Mayor Pro-tem Max Vogt voted against what was essentially an earmark for the funds after voting along with Coumbs to raise the tax levy two weeks prior.



“I didn’t expect it to pass when I made the motion,” Abbarno said. “I was hopeful, but in my heart of hearts, I felt it would wind up falling by the same vote the tax increase passed by.”

Much of the concern held by those who ultimately voted against the motion had to do with the timing and whether enough due diligence had been done prior to the meeting.

“I see the gesture, and the statement as a good one,” Staebler said Tuesday. “I also think of the money coming from the 1 percent increase and think it can be used for a lot of things. … there are always things that come up.”

Abbarno replied that it was his intent to restrict the funds by putting them in the line item, stating it was his goal to give the money back to community groups rather than it being used to replace tires or buy computers when there are funds in the budget that could be used to pay for those and other ancillary items throughout the budget year.

The budget includes $127.5 million of expenditures spread over the two years. A public process to examine and potentially amend the budget for the 2020 calendar year will take place before the end of 2019.