Town of Palouse faces budget cuts

Palouse city staffers are reviewing their budgets to come up with an estimated $20,000 cut from the city’s current expense fund. A drop in state-shared revenue is forcing the city to cut its own budget, said Mayor Michael Eshcanove.

Joyce Beeson, city treasurer, said the city law enforcement, parks, administration, and cemetery management are checking where they can save money.

The city’s current expense fund holds $156,000.

“We’re not talking about cutting services or anything, so I don’t feel it will affect the public much, yet,” Beeson said. “Hopefully, this will work.”

The city annually receives state-shared revenue funds, Beeson said. That fund has been steadily dwindling for the past few years; it went from $32,000 last year to $12,000 this year.

These funds are usually placed in the city’s current expense fund, Beeson said.

To bring in more revenue, the city council voted at their last council meeting to raise the city-wide pool levy by $2,000, from $26,000 to $28,000.