At last week's Burien City Council meeting, much of the focus was on sustaining city and county services in the midst of the current economic downturn.

The latest King County sales tax revenue figures (based on projections made in June) project a $104 million shortfall, with a projected cumulative shortfall of $704 million between now and 2013.

The economic indicators for Burien aren't any better. As of August, revenue from real estate excise tax was roughly half of what it was at the same time last year, sales tax from June was down around 20 percent and unemployment as of July was at nine percent.

In reference to these indicators, City Manager Mike Martin noted, "All the things we want to go down are going up and all the things we want to go up are going down."

Rather than making deeper cuts in King County Metro's existing transit service, the county is proposing a delay of new services that are part of Transit Now, a voter-approved initiative designed to have buses run more frequently and later into the evening.

These cuts would be classified as suspensions, meaning that the services would eventually be added, with an emphasis on serving South King County and the Eastside.

At the city level, among the cuts is a reduction in funding for the Burien Arts Commission and significant cuts to the Parks & Recreation budget.

Councilwoman Sally Nelson asked about the possibility of adding some plants in the median on 148th Ave South in front of Safeway, and of erecting banners or other forms of beautification on 153rd Avenue South.

However, Mayor Joan McGilton essentially nixed the idea when she noted the likelihood of eliminating the hanging baskets on 152nd Avenue South due to a lack of funds.

However, a more pressing matter maybe Initiative 1033, a November ballot measure sponsored by Tim Eyman that, if passed, would restrain state, county and municipal governments from increasing the size of their general funds by anything greater than the rate of inflation plus the population growth.

Any city revenue that exceeds the growth formula would be directed to a fund designed to reduce property taxes, rather than going into the general fund's coffers to cover any budget deficits.

With that in mind, the council discussed a possible resolution against I-1033, which would cut the growth rate of Burien's general fund nearly in half.

And because of the way I-1033 is designed, city finance director Tabatha Miller says Burien would need to permanently cut $900,000 from Burien's general fund.

Councilwoman Rose Clark said that if I-1033 passes, Burien would be in "permanent recession mode." Voters would get short-term gain in return for long-term collapse.

Councilwoman Kathy Keene was equally vociferous stating that it would be "draconian, amazingly horrible if it passes. I don't know what we would be able to do if it [1033] passes. Put me down as a huge no."

Councilman Gordon Shaw chose a different view of I-1033. Shaw said he believes they've done a good job of running the city, but that in the last 10 years, Burien's growth rate has been virtually zero.

Unlike his colleagues on the council, Shaw feels I-1033 would give the city an opportunity to sell back in the lost services in the form of tax levies, and that it would force the council to take a "good, hard look" at some of the city's recent decisions.