This special meeting of the Yakima City Council focused on addressing the city's 2025-2026 budget gap, adjusting utility taxes, and establishing a long-term financial sustainability framework. Key actions included increasing the stormwater utility tax from 15% to 20%, directing the 5% increase to all city pool operations, and initiating the formation of an ad hoc budget advisory committee. The council also reached consensus on several administrative measures to balance the 2025 budget, including reducing reserves, capturing salary savings, and cutting non-essential spending.
2025-2026 Budget Discussion Options
City Manager Vicki Baker, with Finance consultant Mike Bailey and Director of Finance Viren Mayani, presented a long-term financial roadmap and short-term options. The council discussed the structural deficit driven by 82% of general fund spending on public safety, the exhaustion of federal ARPA funds, and the need for community engagement to set priorities. Long-term ideas included a possible public safety levy lid lift, transportation benefit district, impact fees, and regional partnerships. Short-term measures to close an estimated $7.5 million gap for 2025 were proposed.
Stormwater Utility Tax Increase (Ordinance 2024-037)
Public Works Director Scott Schafer proposed amending YMC 7.64.040 to raise the stormwater utility tax from 15% to 20%, generating approximately $220,000 per year for the general fund. This would align the rate with other city utilities. The increase would be absorbed by the stormwater fund initially and would not immediately affect ratepayers, though future rate studies could incorporate the higher tax.
Motion to approve carried 5-2 (Berg and Brown voting no).
Dedication of 5% Stormwater Tax Increase to Aquatic Center Fund (Ordinance amending YMC 3.85.020)
The original ordinance would dedicate the 5% increase exclusively to the new MLK Jr. Park Aquatic Center operations. The council debated whether to restrict funds to MLK pool or expand to all city pools (Lions, Franklin, MLK). Councilmembers noted that $719,000 was already set aside for MLK pool operations for 2-3 years.
Motion to pass the ordinance as written failed 5-2 (Berg, Brown, Byers, Glenn, Roy voting no; Herrera and Deccio voting yes).
Substitute motion to direct staff to bring back an ordinance covering all city pool operations passed 5-2 (Glenn and Herrera voting no).
Ad Hoc Advisory Budget Committee
City Attorney Sara Watkins outlined options for forming a committee. Councilman Brown proposed a seven-member committee with one appointee per council member, serving two-year terms. The committee’s tasks would include reviewing the budget, public engagement, identifying cost savings, and monitoring financial performance.
Motion to direct staff to create a resolution formalizing the committee and bring it back by December 10, 2024, passed unanimously.
Yes. Good evening and welcome. I will call to order the Aquima City Council special meeting on November the 26th, 2024. Laha roll call first, please. Here. Brown. Here. Buyers? Present. DCO? Here. Here. Here. Roy is at that. He let us know he's going to be a little late, but he will be here. Thank you. Next on the agenda is public comment. We will allow 15 minutes for public comment this evening. So if you want to make a public comment, there are slips on the table over there. And please fill them out and give them to the city clerk. Each person will have two and a half minutes when you come to the seat up front to speak. Please give us your name and the city in which you live. The first person we have public comment from is Gina Hernandez. Hi, Gina Hernandez, resident of the city of Yacima. And I just wanted to ask for an opportunity for public comment at the close of this meeting. The meetings currently have public comment prior to the consent agenda for regular meetings at the start of this meeting, and I appreciate being able to say something before something starts, but there are going to be decisions made and information presented. It'd be awfully nice to have an opportunity to speak at the close of the meeting. The close of the presented information, if you don't mind. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Nandez. Next is uh Luis Lopez. Good evening, uh Mayor and the City of Staff and Council members. Uh my name is Luis Lopez, and I live on uh North Ninth Street, just very close to this place. And uh the only reason that I wanted to take this uh this opportunity, we have been experiencing a lot of very suspicious activity right in our neighborhood. Right now, as a matter of fact, uh I was starting to get through the alley to come to this meeting. The alley was blocked with cars, uh uh cars without license plates. Uh I went and knocked on the door, and the people that opened the door was not looking very good. And uh so you know my daughter has reported this uh already uh across the street. There is uh a house also that there is people just coming in and out. And uh and actually the the other reason that I wanted to speak with you uh is to share with you the condition of that alley. Um it it is it is pretty bad. And I will be uh next week I will be uh giving you some pictures of the alley so you can see it and uh so you know we would appreciate if we could get some help, you know, in our in our neighborhood. Yeah, it's it's it's getting very it's very sad. It wasn't like that when we first moved. Um, two two and a half years ago. And uh so we would just like to ask for help. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Lopez.