It’s that time of year when the Kirkland City Council adopts a budget that promises the tax payers is all they need to run the city. Don’t believe it. They’ll spend a lot more at our expense. Historically, the city has averaged a surplus of $15 million per year.

Balancing the budget that shows the added surplus is not a problem.

The question is what to do with the surplus. With additional money coming in, the budget is not balanced, so the council will hold meetings that change expenditure figures periodically to balance the budget.

The council doesn’t keep its promises. They’re spending our surplus.

I contend that we are better at balancing our budgets. The problem is governments are spending more and more of our money leaving us a reduced amount that makes it more difficult for us to balance our budget that we can live by.

Kirkland balanced budgets don’t last long. They keep on spending. The council bust right through their own adopted budgets.

Staff told us the city’s adopted budget will increase about 2 percent. It’s really 7 percent far greater than fixed income’s COLA’s 1.7 percent that seniors are getting. In order for the 2 percent to be true, the city must use some creative adjustments. As money keeps rolling in, surplus is spent, money that could go a long way to help us balance our budgets.

Robert L. Style, Kirkland