Although Bellevue's 2011 budget remains intact, Mayor George Doscher has vetoed three supporting ordinances that have a tremendous impact on the coming year's spending plan.

Doscher notified Bellevue Council on Dec. 30 that he was vetoing the sewer surcharge ordinance, as well as the salary ordinance and the ordinance amending the borough's personnel code to add several new positions.

His rationale for the sewer surcharge veto was to urge council to phase in the proposed usage-based fee over the next two years. Moving from a flat fee of $19 per quarter to a usage-based fee of $3 per 1,000 gallons of water used in a quarter would have substantially increased the sewer bills of most Bellevue property owners.

Doscher proposed a fee of $2 per 1,000 gallons of water in 2011, and reaching the $3 fee in 2012. He also asked that council include a "sunset" clause in the ordinance, which would automatically repeal the fee at some specific date in the future unless the ordinance is re-adopted by council.

The mayor also asked council to consider a 2 percent wage increase for all non-contract employees, most of whom were not scheduled to receive any salary hike in the coming year. He argued that the financial impact of the raise would be minimal, especially because employees are going to be required to contribute to the cost of their health insurance this year.

Finally, Doscher's veto of the new personnel code provisions focused on two positions: the part-time meter attendant/ police department assistant manager, and that of the assistant director of administrative services.

Council previously had rejected the mayor's request that the meter position be written as either a part-time or full-time job, maintaining that the elimination of one full-time police clerk position would leave the department shorthanded.

He also questioned the need for another management level position in the administrative offices.

Bellevue Council will have to meet shortly and produce a two-thirds vote to override any of the individual vetoes.