Yakima City Council Special Meeting - July 24, 2025: Budget Cuts and Levy Lid Lift Ballot
Yakima City Council Special Meeting - July 24, 2025
The Yakima City Council held a special meeting on July 24, 2025, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. The council discussed and approved a $3,000,511 budget cut package and voted 4-3 to place a $6 million property tax levy lid lift proposition on the November 4, 2025 ballot. The meeting adjourned at 6:19 PM.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Dana Johnson, city resident, criticized a comment made by a Budget Committee member on a local radio show that suggested voters are too stupid to understand the budget. Johnson argued residents expect transparency and accountability before being asked to pay more. She also noted that the city has 92 positions with compensation exceeding $200,000, and a few over $300,000, stating that needs to be controlled.
- Tony Sandoval, city resident, provided suggestions for budget savings, including using irrigation water at the cemetery to save money. He also asked the council to consider eliminating the front legal assistant position for the City Attorney.
- Jeanna Hernandez, city resident, clarified remarks she made on a radio show, apologizing for any implication that people were stupid. She intended to advocate that the council and staff made a tremendous effort to answer questions and that many concerns had already been addressed in available meetings.
Discussion Items
Council Requested Cut Package Discussion City Manager Vicki Baker and Director of Finance and Budget Craig Warner presented a revised cut package incorporating changes from the council's previous discussion. The initial proposed cuts totaled $2,559,000; after adjustments (including closing Franklin Pool one year early, reducing Washington Fruit and Harman Center funding by $50,000 each to be recouped via fees, swapping a corrections administration specialist for a CSO officer, splitting one crime analyst position, moving police/fire training cuts to funded, and adding a fire electronics technician position), the total reached $2,540,000. The council needed to find an additional $460,000 to reach $3 million. Debate included reducing street maintenance funding ($500,000), potentially increasing Transportation Benefit District (TBD) fees by $20 to offset some costs, and reducing Lions Pool operations. After discussion, Councilmember Glenn moved and Deccio seconded a motion to accept the cuts as illustrated, which included reducing street maintenance by $410,000 (from $500,000) to reach the $3,000,511 target. The motion carried unanimously (7-0).
Resolution for Property Tax Levy Lid Lift Ballot Warner briefed the council on Resolution R-2025-109, which would place a six-year property tax levy lid lift of $6 million ($0.50 per $1,000 assessed value) on the November 4, 2025 general election ballot. The funds would support city operations including public safety, parks and recreation, and streets. The clerk read the resolution by title only. Councilmember Glenn moved, seconded by Deccio, to accept the $6 million levy resolution. After a roll call vote, the motion carried 4-3; Berg, Brown, and Roy voted no. Mayor Byers announced that the council would appoint up to three members each to "for" and "against" committees to write statements for the Voter's Pamphlet, with appointments expected at the August 4, 2025 regular meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Approved cut package ($3,000,511): Motion by Glenn, seconded by Deccio, carried unanimously. Reductions include elimination of lobbying, council travel, fireworks, downtown flowers, graffiti removal, day camps, adult and youth sports programs, among many others; reduction of funding for Windows Alive, YCDA, economic development, community recreation, Washington Fruit and Harman Centers, street maintenance, and others; closure of Franklin Pool in advance of 2027 refurbishment; elimination of two YPD crime analysts, crime free rental housing, and several positions (corrections administration specialist, fire electronics technician, facilities specialist, economic development assistant). No layoffs were expected as positions were either vacant or would be eliminated through attrition.
- Approved levy lid lift ballot resolution (4-3): Resolution R-2025-109 will place a $6 million property tax levy lid lift on the November 4, 2025 ballot. Councilmembers Berg, Brown, and Roy voted no. The city will begin accepting applications for "for" and "against" committees starting July 25, with appointments at the August 4 regular council meeting.
- Next meeting: The council will next convene as a regular meeting on Monday, August 4, 2025, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
Yes. Thank you. Good evening and welcome. I will call together order the Yakima City Council special meeting of July 24th, 2025. We'll start with uh roll call, please. Berg. Here. Brown. Here. Byers. Present. DCO. Here. Glenn. Here. Herrera. Here. Roy. Here. Thank you, Council. Next on the agenda is public comment. We will have 15 minutes for public comment this evening. If you wish to make public comment, please pick up a slip in the lobby, fill it up, give it to the city clerk. When you come to the podium, please give us your name and city in which you live. Also, uh state law prohibits engineering engineering. Maybe that's that's it. State law prohibits electioneering at city facilities during public comment. Speakers cannot campaign for or against candidates or support or oppose any ballot measure in the upcoming election. So first we have Dana Johnson. Good evening, Council. Um I'm Dana Johnson. I live in the city of Yakima. Um I want to uh first of all address a comment made by a member of the budget committee on KIT this morning who suggested that voters are too stupid to understand the complexities of this budget issue in case just in case anyone on this council happens to share her opinion. Many of the concerned people of our community are thoughtful, hardworking, and fully capable of understanding the f the issues we face. They just expect transparency, accountability, and responsible spending before being asked to give up more of their hard-earned money. Respecting voters means taking their concerns seriously, not insulting their intelligence. And can we talk about the elephant in the room? I know this is a sensitive topic, but people's because people's livelihoods are involved. But in the city of Yakima, we have ninety-two positions with total compensation exceeding two hundred thousand, and a few that are well over three hundred thousand. Councilman Roy. So that needs to get under control um, because I think that's a a lot was uh hurting us along with other stuff. Uh I as an individual is willing to step up and and do what I can, and I am doing some stuff. Uh some of you know that what we could do to get out of this mess we're in. But I need the help from uh all departments uh to kind of control their the overtime. I also feel that others in our community are willing to help. I make contact with some. I've given the list to uh individuals uh on the city council, and I think that they'll they'll be able to uh come forward and they'll um they'll help us out from what we're doing. What what's happening right now? Um so again, Councilman Roy. Um as a person that I've known for a long time.
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