With the approval of the 2013 budget two positions were eliminated from Maple Valley’s payroll: city attorney and community development director.

The Maple Valley City Council approved the 2013 budget at its meeting Monday.

Before the council approved the budget, it first approved an employment separation agreement with City Attorney Christy Todd. As part of the agreement, Todd will be given six months severance pay and benefits.

“It was my sincere pleasure to serve the city of Maple Valley for the past five years,” Todd wrote in an email. “Maple Valley is truly a unique City and I treasure the opportunities I was given here.”

Maple Valley will seek contract legal services, something cities like Covington have done. Steve Clark, the city’s public works director, will take on the duties of Ty Peterson, who has been community development director for the city for nine years, as both departments will merge into a single group in City Hall.

Todd and Peterson will remain in their positions until the end of the year.

These two changes are expected to save the city $120,000 and $85,000 per year respectively.

The decision to eliminate the positions was made in order to help close a gap in the city’s budget.

In a letter to the City Council in November, Maple Valley City Manager David Johnston wrote that a change in development projections knocked the budget balance out by $568,000.

This shortfall occurred, according to Johnston, when staff realized the city’s projection of 150 single family permits per year for six years, a total of 900, was impossible given that the city only has 559 plats left.

This caused staff to readjust their projections to less than 88 permits per year. While $148,000 of the shortfall will be covered by the newly enacted transportation benefit district, it still left $420,000.