The city of Mercer Island has launched a process to help residents understand the financial challenges it faces in balancing its budget, and in maintaining the levels of staffing and quality of services that the community expects.

The city manager and finance director invited a group of community partners to meet informally and begin discussing the issue, along with the outline

of a proposed public engagement process. The council will begin addressing this topic at its July 17 meeting.

City staff plans to reach out to other organizations, as well as to residents, over the coming months. For more, read the 2017-2018 budget message online.