The Jefferson County budget looks OK for the immediate future, but projections indicate the county could face a $5.65 million shortfall by 2006.
The General Fund budget totaled $11.8 million for 2001 and budget requests for 2002 total $13 million, a preliminary budget shows.
Revenues are expected to increase by just 0.5 percent in 2002, down from 1.9 percent this year, the budget shows.
“We’re in good enough shape now,” said Commissioner Glen Huntingford, R-Chimacum, “But we have our work cut out for us in looking at next year’s budget.”
Commissioners begin a series of budget sessions with individual department heads at 2 p.m. today. They will hold all-day sessions Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the Lower Level Conference Room of the County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
This full report appears in today’s Jefferson County edition of the Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.