As mayor of the city of Kenmore, I am committed to transparent government and accurate reporting of City Council information to the public. Therefore, I was dismayed to read the misleading letter to the editor in the Sept. 16 Kenmore Reporter, “The down-low on Kenmore deficit.”

The City Council candidate who signed the letter did not attend the Sept. 10 council special study session regarding the budget review, so she has no firsthand knowledge of what took place.

The budget-review meeting was publicized and open to the public, as is every council meeting except executive sessions. The timing of the meeting was to accommodate the busy schedules of councilmembers. With the volume of information presented, a regularly scheduled evening study session would not have allowed sufficient time for discussion.

The meeting on the 10th was routine — a standard practice to update councilmembers on the current state of the budget and to look at the long-range forecast. It was not to discuss a “looming city deficit.”

In preparing such forecasts, city financial staff takes a conservative approach so that the council can plan ahead for a time when expenditures outpace revenue. Some of the factors include labor contracts, built-in inflators, a depressed economy and restrictions due to voter-passed initiatives.

The city is not planning to cancel capital project improvements due to construction or operating costs of the new city hall. If projects are canceled, it would be due to the downturn in the economy, not to the city hall.

As far as funding the final phase of State Route 522, city staff, the council and I are aggressively seeking federal funds. This is an issue for a future council meeting and was not on the Sept. 10 agenda.

I would stress that citizens need not be alarmed about the state of city finances. The city is not facing a financial crisis, as the letter writer would lead one to believe. The finance staff is keeping the council aware of long-term projections so that we can properly respond and cut costs if necessary.

Finally, the council is working to attract new businesses to Kenmore, thus shoring up revenues. With completion of the city hall and traffic improvements, Kenmore will be a more attractive location for businesses.

I would be happy to discuss these matters with anyone who is concerned about the city’s budget.

David Baker,

City of Kenmore mayor