(Editor's note: This opinion piece was published originally in council member Conlin's newsletter, "Making it Work.")

Seattle is faced with some difficult and challenging budget decisions over the next several months. After rebalancing the 2009 budget earlier this year, the city is facing an estimated $70 million shortfall in revenues for 2010.

The council is already working on budget issues as we prepare to receive the mayor’s proposed budget at the end of September. State law requires that the council approve a final budget by the end of November. We expect to spend most of the fall on this challenging task.

Fortunately, Seattle carefully managed budgets during the last several years when revenues exceeded expectations, setting aside a $30 million Rainy Day Fund and emphasizing one-time projects rather than long-term commitments to new staff and programs.

Seattle also does not face some of the structural problems that King County and the state face. So, even though it will not be easy to find $70 million, it is a doable task.

The mayor and council have already agreed to maintain budgets for human services, police patrols, and firefighters. More than half of the anticipated shortfall can be made up through the use of most of the Rainy Day Fund and by continuing the $15 to $20 million in sustainable cuts made earlier this year.

The remaining work to balance the budget will, however, require careful management and some difficult decisions. We expect that there will be some personnel cuts, and many city unions have agreed to furloughs as an alternative to personnel reductions in departments where this is practical and necessary.

The council is currently undertaking in-depth reviews of key departments, with the goal of seeking administrative savings and identifying programs that can be postponed rather than reducing direct services.

We have also sent a letter to the mayor, indicating our priorities for the budget, and the council and mayor will work together to the extent possible to make reasonable and responsible budget decisions.

The council letter elaborated on the priorities that the council formally adopted last spring in Resolution 31134, which acknowledged the need for immediate spending reductions, established the council's highest budget priorities in the context of these reductions, and identified potential cost savings to be considered in preparing the 2010 proposed budget.

The letter supported the efforts already underway to use strategic workforce management, including careful and well-reasoned layoffs and negotiated furloughs, as a way to deal with the budget shortfall. The council also committed to a 6 percent reduction in the Legislative Department budget, which we have now submitted.

The council further identified budget items that we feel should be included or protected in any budget presented for council consideration. We believe that these priorities are consistent with what we hear from the public.

Public Safety:

- Maintain police officer hiring at levels in the 2010 endorsed budget. These new officers along with appropriate internal redeployment will allow for full funding and implementation of the Neighborhood Policing Plan.

- Maintain domestic violence programs, including contracted services, at levels in the endorsed 2010 budget.

- Retain the existing Emergency Management Operations Program’s community outreach specialists.

- Protect Pedestrian Master Plan funding at levels in the 2010 endorsed budget and establish a dedicated fund to implement the Pedestrian Master Plan and Bicycle Master Plan.

- Protect funding for Park Rangers and Community Police Team Officers at levels in the 2010 endorsed budget.

- Prioritize youth programs at community centers even if overall center hours must be reduced.

Human Services:

- Maintain funding for shelter beds, day center access for both men and women and food bank/fresh meal funding at levels in the 2010 endorsed budget.

- Include an additional $500,000 for youth mentoring programs in 2010.

- Maintain the city’s financial support for Public Health, and particularly the neighborhood community clinics at the levels in the 2010 endorsed budget.

- Continue support for senior programs at the level anticipated in the 2010 endorsed budget.

- Preserve library collections at levels in the 2010 endorsed budget.

Additionally, maintain funding for the Neighborhood Matching Fund and neighborhood plan update process to the fullest extent possible.

Finally, we asked that the Revenue Stabilization Account (Rainy Day Fund) not be fully expended in the proposed budget and that a modest financial cushion be held in reserve to help offset any further revenue downturns in 2010.