It’s heartening when an elected official keeps a promise, and even more so when a governing body composed of elected officials does the same.

Washington’s City Council is keeping a promise it made several years ago — and there’s proof. The recently released audit of the city’s fiscal books for fiscal year 2013-2014, which ended June 30, 2014 — provides indisputable evidence the council is reducing the annual transfer from the city’s electric fund to the city’s general fund. The proof is there in black and white.

That annual transfer fell from $1,174,619 in fiscal year 2010 to $470,000 in fiscal year 2014, according to the audit performed by Martin Starnes & Associates. The council has been working toward reducing that annual transfer for several years, with the goal of eliminating that transfer. The transfers have been made to help balance past city budgets.

Many Washington Electric Utilities customers who don’t live in the city object to transferring money from the electric fund to the general fund. They contend that at least part of the money they pay on their electric bills is used to subsidize city operations, services and programs. Their contention may or may not be accurate.

How did that annual transfer come about?

In the past, some city officials have said the transfer from the electric fund to the general fund is similar to a private power company like Duke Energy paying a dividend to its stockholders. The council faces a challenge when it comes to decreasing or doing away with the annual transfer. Eliminating the annual transfer — or reducing it — and making the general fund self-supporting likely would require finding revenue sources to replace the transfer amount, cutting expenses or a combination of the two, city officials have said.

It’s a challenge the council has accepted and is working to meet.

It’s a safe bet that the council will eliminate that transfer within the next several years.

The council’s ongoing effort to keep its promise deserves recognition. That effort is making for better city government.