Why there's a good chance your city is facing a budget cliff

Seattle city leaders were met with some less than ideal news this month: the city is facing a $241 million dollar budget shortfall over the next two years.

And maybe you’re thinking, hey didn’t city council use the Jump Start tax to fill the $250 million budget gap this year? Surprise: that was a whole other budget deficit. 

But Seattle is far from the only municipality facing a shortfall. King County is facing a $150 million gap. Tacoma? It had to fill a $24 million hole late last year. Spokane County? $20 million short. Yakima? $9 million. Cle Elum is filing for bankruptcy (a very rare move that has only happened once in the history of the state). 

So what is going on with local governments across the state?

Guests:

• Candice Bock, director of government relations at the Washington Association of Cities

• John Rennie Short, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Related stories:

• A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities - The Conversation

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