Amid controversy over constructing a new headquarters fire station, SeaTac lawmakers postponed on Nov. 22 passage of the city's budget until their final scheduled meeting of the year.

The council's last regular 2005 meeting is set for Dec. 13. A 2006 budget must be passed by Dec. 31.

Council members could not even agree on postponing adoption of the budget

A motion to reschedule the budget consideration passed 5-2. Mayor Frank Hansen and Deputy Mayor Terry Anderson as well as councilmen Gene Fisher, Chris Wythe and Joe Brennan voted for the postponement.

Councilmen Ralph Shape and Don DeHan voted against.

The fire station appropriation was added to the preliminary budget at a Nov. 15 budget workshop.

Other additional expenditures proposed at the workshop include $5 million to purchase the former Riverton Heights school from the Highline School District, $1 million for prepayment of services from the new SeaTac YMCA facility, $4.8 million for city center property acquisition and $10,651 for emergency preparedness supplies.

If approved, $2 million would be allocated in the 2006 budget for replacement of the McMicken Heights fire station at 3521 S. 170th St. Another $3.2 million would be budgeted in 2007.

Hansen suggested council members discuss fire services in depth at their annual January retreat. Hansen did not run for re-election, so will not attend the retreat.

Tony Anderson, a Port of Seattle police officer who was elected earlier this month, will take Hansen's seat.

Hansen said the city probably needs a new headquarters station, but he isn't sure McMicken Heights is the proper place to put it.

A new headquarters and communication center at the site would require SeaTac to buy out four parcels with "four families getting the boot," Hansen added.

A site on International Boulevard or at the existing station at 2929 S. 200th St. might more appropriate, according to the mayor.

"We can't be spending $5.2 million without a real evaluation," Hansen concluded.

Shape countered that with discussion at this year's retreat and at eight budget workshops, "we have studied this to death."

With its central location, McMicken Heights is the ideal site, he said.

DeHan, who was a member of an ad hoc committee that studied SeaTac fire services, said the city should begin by building a new McMicken Heights station.

Voters then should be asked to approve a bond to finance replacement of the city's other two fire stations, DeHan suggested.

Lawmakers also raised other objections to the proposed budget.

Brennan said he would vote against the budget unless money is restored for an additional police officer at Chinook Middle School.

Fisher noted he would vote against the proposed budget because planned expenditures will exceed estimated tax revenues.

According to the revised preliminary budget presented by Finance Director Mike McCarty, the city would spend $34.1 million from the general fund with expected tax revenue of $23.7 million.

However, a $8.3 million general fund balance would remain at the end of 2006, down from $18.7 million on Jan. 1, 2006.

Under the proposed budget, expenditures in all funds is set at $74.8 million with revenue of $59 million and an ending fund balance of $42 million.

In other business, council members approved a development agreement with MADA, LLC to build a 1,050-stall parking garage with 5,000 square-feet of retail space.

The garage, planned for International Boulevard, near South 170th Street, would be located between the Ramada Inn and Red Roof Inn.

The $20-million project will be "great thing for the city," DeHan noted.

Lawmakers also changed parking taxes in the city. The changes were negotiated as part of the revised Interlocal Agreement between the city and the Port of Seattle, operators of Sea-Tac International Airport.

Port commissioners approved the agreement last week. SeaTac lawmakers had okayed the pact Oct. 11.

For vehicles parked more than two hours, the tax will increase from $1 to $1.75 per transaction next year. The tax will rise each year until it reaches $3 in 2010.

For parking less than two hours, the tax will remain at $1 per transaction for the next two years, with a graduated decrease down to 90 cents by 2010.

The parking tax is expected to bring $84 million into city tax coffers over 10 years.

But Wythe complained that road projects had been transferred from the Port to the city as part of the agreement.

He said the added cost of the road projects would consume the extra $30 million the city expects to raise with the new parking tax.

Hansen replied the additional road projects are "outside the fence" of airport property.

"We will be building roads for city residents," he declared.

Eric Mathison can be reached at hteditor@robinsonnews.com or 206-444-4873.