Regional Centers

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

Size – Largest in non-metro areas
Property value – Moderate
Commercial activity – Moderate
Growth – Moderate
Geography – East and west

Cluster characteristics
Population
Economic characteristics
Other community characteristics

Fiscal conditions
Major revenue base
General financial outlook

Anacortes, Centralia, Ellensburg, Longview, Moses Lake, Mount Vernon, Port Angeles, Pullman, Walla Walla, Wenatchee

These big cities in Washington’s rural areas are job centers for their regions. But in this time of recession, these cites are challenged to meet service needs of residents and local employers. These cities are less able to meet needs than four years ago. One reason for this is that sales and use tax revenues declined by a third over the past year and a half. To alleviate the squeeze on their budgets, most of these cities have frozen hiring, laid off employees, and reopened the 2009 budget.

All data is recorded as median value for all cities in the cluster.

Data for individual cities may vary significantly in some categories.

Cluster Characteristics

Population

Average population size:

Year 1990 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Pop. 17,679 21,673 21,480 21,670 21,885 22,218 22,615 23,000 22,935 23,160 23,430

Population density, 2009: 2,388 persons per square mile
Population growth rate, 2000-2009: 10.9%

Economic characteristics

Median household income (1999): $32,221
Poverty rate (1999): 19%
Major local employers by industry (1999):

Major local employers % of cities in cluster
(w/ industry as 1 of 3 top employers)

Retail trade 90%

Manufacturing 60%

Educational services 50%

Other Community Characteristics

Date of incorporation: 1891
GMA-planning cities: 80%
Number of housing units:

2000 2009 Growth
2000-2009

9,193 10,362 11.1%

Fiscal Conditions

Major Revenue Base

Per capita assessed value, 2008: $75,805
Per capita sales & use tax revenue, 2008: $190
Decline in sales & use tax distributions, October 2007 - May 2009: 33%

General Financial Outlook

Change in local economic conditions since June 2008:

(% of respondents)

Improved 0%

Stayed about the same 0%

Worsened 100%

Ability to meet financial needs:

(% of respondents)

Less able Same Better able

This year (FY 2009) compared with four years ago 100% 0% 0%

Next year compared with this year 100% 0% 0%

Four years from now compared with this year 83% 17% 0%

Steps taken to balance the budget:

(% of respondents)

Adopted with 2009 budget Imposed after 2009 budget was adopted Not as of survey date

Staffing changes

Froze hiring (city is not replacing employees when they leave/retiree) 0% 67% 33%

Decreased the number of hours/days worked or imposed furloughs 17% 0% 83%

Offered voluntary leave without pay 0% 0% 100%

Laid off employees 0% 50% 50%

Compensation/benefit changes

Eliminated salary increases for employees 17% 17% 67%

Delayed or reduced salary increases for employees 20% 20% 60%

Reduced spending on some employee benefits (i.e. deferred compensation, health care) 0% 0% 100%

Eliminated some employee benefits (i.e. deferred compensation, health care) 0% 17% 83%

Required increased employee contributions for employee/family health care 50% 0% 50%

Cities reopening budget or decreasing expenditures in response to reduced revenues:

Have taken these steps 67%

Had not but considered likely 17%

Had not and did not consider likely 17%

Actions cities are taking to balance budgets for remainder of 2009 (shows responses only from cities planning to amend budgeted expenditures):

Significant increase Slight increase Maintain Slight decrease Significant decrease Not authorized in your city

Infrastructure spending 0% 0% 0% 67% 17% 17%

Public safety spending 20% 0% 40% 40% 0% 0%

General government spending 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0%

Scope of services 0% 0% 50% 50% 0% 0%

Size of workforce 0% 0% 25% 75% 0% 0%

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Cluster 1