Yakima City Council Study Session - October 14, 2025

On October 14, 2025, the Yakima City Council held a study session from 5:00 p.m. to 6:03 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 129 N 2nd Street, Yakima, WA. Mayor Patricia Byers presided. Present were Assistant Mayor Matt Brown and Councilmembers Reedy Berg, Janice Deccio, Rick Glenn, Danny Herrera, and Leo Roy (arrived at 5:21 p.m.). Staff included City Manager Vicki Baker, City Attorney Sara Watkins, and Deputy City Clerk Brandy Bradford. The council reviewed the 2026 Preliminary Mid-Biennial Budget and received an update on indigent defense caseload standards. No public comment was made.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No in-person or online public comments were offered during the 15-minute public comment period.

Discussion Items

Review of the 2026 Preliminary Mid-Biennial Budget

• Finance and Budget Director Craig Warner presented the proposed modifications to the 2026 adopted biennial budget. The city faces financial challenges, including lower-than-expected sales tax revenue and an $8.1 million deficit in the adopted 2026 budget.
• Sales tax revenue for 2025 is projected to be about $2.2 million below budget, and 2026 sales tax is projected at about $29.4 million, down from the budgeted $31.6 million. Utility tax revenue is projected to increase by about $1.4 million, partly because higher electricity rates increased the 6% utility tax on electricity; Warner noted the council did not raise the tax rate.
• In the General Fund, the adopted 2026 budget is $76,779,080 and the proposed mid-biennial budget is $95,983,348. Anticipated revenue changes total approximately $16,204,268, and forecast expenditure changes total approximately $11,520,077.
• City-wide, the adopted 2026 budget is $286,376,546 and the proposed amended budget is $326,717,428, with revenue changes of $37,406,595 and expense changes of $40,340,882.
• Warner described structural budget changes for transparency, including new dedicated funds for opioid settlement funds, lodging tax, affordable housing sales tax, and police relief/pension, and routing all property tax revenue through the General Fund first before transfers to streets and parks. Property tax changes include a $19.2 million accounting shift from that routing and an additional proposed $6 million in property tax.
• Warner identified about $2.8 million in unbudgeted needs, including additional police equipment replacement, fire equipment replacement, a snow and ice removal reserve, a $750,000 bond payment for facility upgrades, increased police training, an IT firewall replacement, and an IT server/backup solution replacement.
• The proposed ending General Fund balance would be about $11,569,189, within $1,661 of the city's 12% reserve target. The forecast for 2027-2029 projects reserve levels slightly below policy, but Warner said the future gap is much smaller than the prior $8-9 million deficit picture.
• Proposed expense reductions were presented for Police ($3 million), Fire ($1.75 million), and Parks ($1.4 million). Police reductions could include 12 police officer positions, one police sergeant, four community services officers, and other positions. Parks reductions would remove the General Fund contribution to programs, potentially reducing mowing, watering, and restroom availability, not necessarily closing programs.
• City Manager Vicki Baker reported that Union Gap has decided not to renew its fire protection services agreement with Yakima. She and Fire Chief Markham said Yakima will focus on maintaining high-level fire protection and its fire rating for city residents and businesses. Council members and the chief expressed concern that Union Gap could face higher costs, longer response times, and loss of the benefit of Yakima's fire rating. Warner noted the agreement was in the proposed budget, so another budget adjustment will be required.

Update on Indigent Defense Caseload Standards

• Senior Assistant City Attorney Cynthia Martinez reported on the Washington State Supreme Court's adoption of new indigent defense caseload limits.
• The new rule reduces the annual caseload limit for defense attorneys in courts of limited jurisdiction from 400 to 120 case credits, phased in over 10 years. The Supreme Court adopted the 120-case limit but did not adopt the Washington State Bar Association's proposed social worker/paralegal staffing and mandatory case-weighting requirements.
• Beginning January 1, 2026, 10% of the difference between 400 and 120 must be reduced each year. With 9.35 funded attorneys, Yakima's current capacity is about 3,740 cases. The required reduction would be 262 cases in 2026 (to 3,478) and 523 cases in 2027 (to 3,216).
• Martinez stated that to keep current charging practices through the 10-year phase-in, the city would need to hire about 22 additional defense attorneys, more than tripling the current indigent defense budget of $1.9 million.
• Council members discussed how cases are reduced, with Martinez noting prosecutors would decline more cases. Council members also raised concerns about auditing defendants' ability to pay for defense and asked for a future study session with Municipal Court judges on the financial eligibility process.

Key Outcomes

• No formal action was taken on the budget or indigent defense standards; the items were study-session discussions.
• Public hearings on the 2026 mid-biennial budget are scheduled for November 12 and November 18, 2025, with an ad valorem/property tax hearing on November 12. Budget adoption is scheduled for December 2, 2025.
• Council requested a future discussion, likely with Municipal Court judges, on auditing and inquiring into defendants' ability to pay for defense costs.
• The council unanimously voted to adjourn to the next regular city council meeting on October 21, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.; the meeting adjourned at 6:03 p.m.