No budget solution yet in Black Diamond as city faces possible shutdown

The Black Diamond City Council is racing toward a deadline to pass a city budget. It was supposed to be in place at the end of last year.

But there are two competing versions of the budget, and Thursday night's meeting settled nothing.

TRANSCRIPT

Black Diamond is running on an emergency budget that expires at the end of March.

The council is divided, first over the scope of development in the city and then over the budget. Little progress was made in a session meant to resolves these differences.

Now the council want to discuss the budget until March 2. Staff says the city needs a budget deal by early March to prevent the multi-week process of shutting the city down.

Police, fire and other services would end without a budget.

Black Diamond’s mayor and council can work on a solution right up to the March 31 deadline.