The tough times have hit the Northwest and along with it, Federal Way.

News of layoffs at Washington Mutual, Weyerhaeuser, Boeing, Microsoft and King County occur daily and affect our neighbors and community.

Longtime goals for city center revitalization embodied in the Symphony project have been placed on hold, and late last week, we learned that Highline Community College is closing its Federal Way campus.

The Symphony project and Highline Community College’s decision tear at the fabric of our community because they represent pieces of who we are and what we can be in the future. Into this economic turmoil comes a debate on whether city government should spend taxpayer dollars to help build a performing arts center.

This debate has been two years in the making, as a citizens group has been working that long to add this venue to an array of city center options to help create the vibrant image of Federal Way’s future. To them, the performing arts center represents a long overdue community necessity that responds to the many diversified needs and goals of both our citizens and the region.

To others, the performing arts center is seen as an unnecessary luxury that may not be needed at all and certainly isn’t a high priority when balanced against the challenges many face in just paying their basic bills.

The plan the Federal Way City Council is considering would ask the state for $20 million at $5 million a year over four years. City government would add in $20 million, and $10 million would come from private sources. The operating costs are estimated at about $260,000 per year, and the land may be donated.

The citizens in favor of the performing arts center argue that state money is competitive and will go somewhere, so it might as well be here. And our state senator, Tracey Eide, is in a powerful position to help that window of opportunity, which won’t last forever. They also note that the downturn in the economy could bring the overall costs down as construction bids may be lower or more competitive. They have worked with the city staff and repeatedly checked in with the council for direction and approval.

But this “piecemeal” approach to policy making, in addition to the costs, has troubled some council members who have wanted one major discussion that dissects all the financial, policy and political questions at one time. As a result, some council members don’t feel “personally invested” in this project — and feel the city staff and community are moving too fast for them. Even though they may like the idea, they also question how it fits with other future projects. Some question whether the city should be spending any money at all when their goal in the 2009 budget debate was to add to the reserves and “rainy day” account for future basic services.

This city council is composed of seven cautious fiscal leaders who lean moderate to conservative. There’s no true liberal in the group, although they have displayed a progressive side on certain issues. All are concerned about costs.

But the real question isn’t “Can we afford it?” From a purely dollars-and-cents point of view, this project is very doable. The big policy question: “Is this the right project and is this the right time?” And what message does this send to the community?

Right now, there is a majority of council members who lean toward supporting the performing arts center. But given a moving set of particulars, that vote could be anywhere from 6-1 to 4-3. Particulars include a location downtown that is more expensive, or construction on another site which elsewhere is cheaper. The possible addition of a conference or cultural center also add to the cost. The other particular is the city role when completed. Some don’t want any role for the city.

There is also some temptation to “punt” this issue to the voters and let them decide if they want to tax themselves. But others argue that it’s decisions like this that city council members were elected to make. And lest you forget, this is also an election year for some council members. A vote either way could attract candidates with other view points.

At their workshop this past Saturday, the council decided to keep moving ahead. But for some council members, it wasn’t an endorsement. And it’s also clear: Consensus will be hard to achieve, especially when they see the updated price tag later on this year.