Assessing the Health of Washington's Cities and Towns

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Cluster 8

 

Residential Communities

Overview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

Bainbridge Island, Black Diamond, Bonney Lake, Brier, Camas, Carnation, Covington, Des Moines, Duvall, Edgewood, Edmonds, Fircrest, Kenmore, La Center, Lake Forest Park, Lake Stevens, Maple Valley, Marysville, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Newcastle, Normandy Park, Sammamish, Shoreline, University Place, West Richland

Size:
Small to medium.

Growth:
High growth over the 1990s.

Fiscal:
Low commercial activity, but relatively high median household income among residents.

Community Conditions
Population
Economy
Other Community Characteristics

Fiscal Conditions
General Financial Outlook
Major Revenue Base
Significant Budget Drivers
Initiative Impacts
Transportation/Infrastructure

All data is recorded as an average for all cities in the cluster.
Data for individual cities may vary significantly in some categories.


Community Conditions

Population

Year

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Pop.

7,552 8,591 8,899 9,250 9,623 10,006 13,073 13,567 14,112 14,663 15,770 16,009 16,256

Economy

Year

1999

1989

Median Household Income

$63,237
(in 1989 dollars)

$56,574

Year

2000

1990

Unemployment Rate

2.7%

2.7%

Major Local Employers by Industry

% of Cities in Cluster
(w/ Industry as 1 of 3 Top Employers)

Manufacturing 93%
Retail trade 85%
Health care and social assistance 59%
Construction 22%
Professional, scientific, & technical svcs 19%
Educational services 19%

Other Community Characteristics

Local Conditions Most Improved Since 1999

% of Cities in Cluster

Pedestrian-friendly environment 30%
Parks & Recreation 30%
Vitality of neighborhoods 25%

Local Conditions Most Deteriorated Since 1999

% of Cities in Cluster

Overall city budget condition 58%
Traffic congestion 53%
Sales tax base 21%

Local Conditions Most Important to Address Over Next 5 Yrs.

% of Cities in Cluster

Overall city budget condition 65%
Traffic congestion 50%
Sales tax base 50%

Fiscal Conditions

General Financial Outlook

 

(% of Respondents)

 

Less Able

Same

Better Able

Five years ago

71% 8% 21%

Next Year

83% 13% 4%

In Next Five Years

83% 8% 8%

Major Revenue Base

Significant Budget Drivers

Top 3 Positive Budget Influences

% of Cities in Cluster

 

Top 3 Negative Budget Influences

% of Cities in Cluster

Amount of reserves 59%   Tax-limiting voter initiatives 78%
Reliance on user fees to pay for city services 55%   Amount of state aid to city 48%
Value of city property tax base 55%   Cost of employee health benefits 43%

Initiative Impacts

Impacts of Initiatives on City Services/Operations

% of Cities in Cluster

Used Reserves 52%
Increased Taxes 48%
Increased User Fees 57%
Reduced Staff Training 38%
Eliminated Staff Positions 38%
Reduced Services 38%
Eliminated Services 19%
Adopted New User Fees 14%
Diverted Services 10%

Transportation/Infrastructure

New Capacity Needs

Replacement Needs

Streets
Stormwater
Sidewalks
Bridges
Sewer
Street lighting
Water

Stormwater
Streets
Sidewalks
Street lighting
Bridges
Sewer
Water

Spending

% of Responding Cities (10) in Cluster

Delayed Spending over the Past 6 Years

30%

Expect to Delay Spending Over the Next 6 Years

90%


* = High degree of variability in cluster data


 

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