By Kevin Hanson-The Courier-Herald

When members of the Enumclaw City Council gather Monday night, they'll adopt a spending plan for 2008 that calls for increases in water and garbage rates and tacks on a 1 percent increase in property taxes while dumping some small projects due to a lack of available funds.

Looking first at the property tax issue, the state Legislature made certain no one could ask for more than 1 percent during a one-day special session last week. City officials had already determined they would stick with the will of the people, however, as a tentative budget forwarded by Mayor John Wise had included the 1 percent hike and there was no talk of going for more after a court ruled the previous limitation was unconstitutional.

It's not as though the city would have been in for a financial windfall if a greater tax rate had been allowed and endorsed. According to City Administrator Mark Bauer, 1 percent in property tax collections accounts for about $20,000, not a significant amount considering a $7 million budget.

The utility rate increases, already earmarked in the budget, were made official during the Nov. 26 council meeting. In fact, the hikes had been established by ordinance a year ago, “but we decided to bring them forward each year in case there was a change of opinion,” Bauer said.

The water rate for city customers will jump by 6.5 percent Jan. 1, just as it did the first of this year. The rate for garbage and yard waste collections will increase 2 percent, also effective Jan. 1.

The municipal budget has been poked, prodded and tinkered with since Wise released his draft weeks ago.

On the list of casualties was a short list of street and park improvement projects that were to be initially funded by real estate excise tax money. Those REET funds are generally used for up-front work, Bauer said, with city money picking up the rest of the tab. A handful of proposed projects were scrapped because it's apparent the city will lack money a year from now to complete the work..