[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6657393,"mediaKeyId","5075350-f79bd45360b2fe9603cd54a61a8cb81e","parentId",5075350,"title","City manager outlines options to balance 2026 operating budget; council sets broad guardrails","audioSeconds",1391,"startMs",5998000,"endMs",7389000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5075350-f79bd45360b2fe9603cd54a61a8cb81e&start=5998&end=7389","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5075350-f79bd45360b2fe9603cd54a61a8cb81e/thumbnail_5998000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6657393/Olympia/Thurston-County/Washington/City-manager-outlines-options-to-balance-2026-operating-budget-council-sets-broad-guardrails","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657393-77e54a51db78e9fff0e34727c33d42b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189298&Signature=aSmnzvdrUMJDb02zdJwrdUis4vouT5AGyrkuyLIMxng7lUI0yiXv7aM5CbpLzSYHO-FHqYo6kBk40kGeVbYL4XarpWeOhxbJ4~VwnAF5RBhagA4C5aRQ2GQrDmqKm4BDQTS1z17LMlL0TCFc2YUPl9X2THmEfe8JuR968OFRmSy29SCiBxCn8I3a3dF5F3fG8NkPBsjZX0LD3s333RpY4Wjxzm8HArxcB8a1WB-Owu10WUFYwkJP0jtRnmuwZHzWqiHbVN8SgWeQ8W54LPzJ8TMo1JKIvvMCtKwGaC41C1Z~0uIk~ZH6BEf5f8dDCLG3ELxGPI~TttZDFCmaUN7D1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Olympia","date","2025-06-24T00:00:00Z","article","City Manager Jay Birney briefed the Olympia City Council on June 24 on the city's fiscal position and potential approaches to balancing the 2026 operating budget, asking for council guidance on priorities and guardrails for any reductions.

Birney told the council the city balanced its 2025 budget using $4,000,000 in reserves and that the general fund reserve rate has declined; he noted the city's target fund balance is 25% while current reserves were at about 12.5%. \"We balanced our 2025 budget utilizing $4,000,000 in reserves,\" Birney said, and described a menu of short-term and longer-term options staff has developed to reduce or offset a 2026 shortfall.

Why it matters: councilmembers emphasized that reductions to frontline public-safety staffing would be particularly harmful and that core, \"essential\" municipal services should be prioritized. Several members said they preferred revenue or efficiency options over service reductions and asked staff to bring specific, quantified options before the council.

Options presented and estimates cited: staff listed a mix of short-term offsets, operational changes and longer-term revenue options:

- PERS/PSERS contribution rates: state actuarial changes will lower the city's contribution for public-employee retirement plans; Birney estimated roughly $1.6 million in budgetary savings tied to the change (some savings will fall in the current fiscal year and some in next year).

- Short-term operational adjustments: temporary delays to nonessential capital work such as street striping, temporary reductions to indirect charges and reassigning or time-shifting capital to cover operations in constrained areas were discussed as one-time or short-duration measures.

- Vehicle fleet: moving some light-duty vehicle replacement to a lease model was estimated as a possible $500,000 saving in 2026 if implemented for an initial set of vehicles; staff emphasized leasing would be phased in.

- Climate expense allocation: shifting a larger share of climate-related costs to utilities was estimated to free about $200,000 for the general fund.

- Local tax options: Birney cited a local sales tax option created by House Bill 2015 (a 1/10th of 1% public-safety sales-tax that jurisdictions may adopt) with an estimated yield around $3,000,000 for Olympia if implemented. He noted county-first election timing rules can affect implementation timing. He also referenced a non-voter utility-tax tranche returning to the general fund in later years (a half-percent slice of a prior 1% utility tax that had been dedicated to parks and that phases back to the general fund in coming years).

- Organizational adjustments: Birney noted a budgeted $300,000 saving the council previously asked staff to find in the City Manager's Office; he said there are multiple ways to achieve that (including vacancy management) and staff will propose options.

Council guardrails and discussion: councilmembers broadly supported avoiding cuts to frontline police, fire and homeless-response staffing, noting those functions already operate under staffing strain and mandatory overtime in some units. Several members urged that the city avoid further erosion of core services (public works maintenance, permitting, and building repairs were cited) because restoration can take many years. Many councilmembers expressed a preference for first pursuing revenue options, partnerships and efficiency gains before pursuing permanent staffing reductions.

Timing and next steps: Birney said staff will continue developing detailed, quantified options and that a clearer budget gap figure should appear in mid-August once department budget inputs and the revenue forecast are finalized. He said staff will return to council with options and with packages that reflect the council's stated priorities.

Ending: Councilmembers asked staff to present options with concrete dollar figures, noting the need for public transparency and public hearings on any proposed revenue measures. No formal reductions or decisions were taken at the study session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Olympia - City Council Study Session on 2025-06-24 at 6:00 PM - Jun 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Manager Jay Birney presented options to address the 2026 budget, including revenue measures, operational efficiencies and possible reductions. Councilmembers largely agreed on preserving frontline public safety and avoiding deep cuts to core services, and asked staff to return with options and estimates as fiscal forecasts firm up in August.","taxTitle","Olympia, Thurston County, Washington","taxId",4862,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6657398,"Council reviews Olympia 2045 housing element and displacement analysis; manufactured-home preservation highlighted",192,4672000,4864000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5075350-f79bd45360b2fe9603cd54a61a8cb81e&start=4672&end=4864","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5075350-f79bd45360b2fe9603cd54a61a8cb81e/thumbnail_4672000.jpg","/articles/6657398/Olympia/Thurston-County/Washington/Council-reviews-Olympia-2045-housing-element-and-displacement-analysis-manufactured-home-preservation-highlighted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657398-6c296bf66d524ca757ca40386e7f9796/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189298&Signature=fMTaiQDZNDy0~GC~Rx-IY5fxQnW8IJDBeLba5C2~t9fAz8o6NUnFpLUz5NXeLbzsfSW3sXnhEaHirtqiTzzU7WVR~BAKAkXOLuW0OjNEc~AOLbNjBb-Qlln9SU5T4AhQrK02YQRBSo~fz9xJxIGf3KSlLJJP2Cj5mU1-hFA99Sjko01hRQCPqHs1h1erRjAo4M1raWNmc3eoUd-kY0g9ZutOb1NJge~L8JHpWm~9rv9KFzz8LkaLvdsI8LLNxyo8NPse1J~MnGPRVbhZbWdvpVrhU6V4nt~~mCi68bM5HAvnCtna9V-TKX3Hl6e4-rD9LUN4~9Hhbius8y7H9soO8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planners briefed the Olympia City Council on June 24 on the draft Olympia 2045 housing element and on a newly completed housing displacement and racially disparate impacts analysis prepared for a regional consortium by Uncommon Bridges.

\"The city does not control the housing market,\" said Casey Shoffler, associate planner, explaining the chapter's role: \"we can influence it through policy and regulations, investments and partnerships, and legislative advocacy.\" The study session covered mandated changes under state law and local findings about displacement risk.

Why it matters: Washington's HB 1220 (2021) requires jurisdictions to plan by income brackets and to accommodate a range of housing types. The draft housing chapter incorporates a housing land capacity analysis and a housing needs assessment that, together with Thurston Regional Planning Council forecasts, estimate Olympia and its urban growth area will require approximately 14,000 new housing units by 2045. Planners said that projected capacity relies heavily on redevelopment in downtown and other higher-density areas.

Key findings from the displacement analysis, which Olympia led regionally with Lacey, Tumwater and Yelm, include: the city faces an increased risk of physical displacement (eviction, acquisition, redevelopment or expiration of affordability covenants); a loss of low-income homeownership; and a significant decrease in rental units affordable to very low-income households (30\u0005% of area median income). Uncommon Bridges' outreach included four affinity-group conversations (manufactured-housing residents, low-wage-worker communities, military families, and ADU stakeholders) and review of thousands of pages of documents.

Policy recommendations and next steps: the consultant and staff emphasized measures to protect and preserve manufactured-home communities, retain existing affordable housing, expand tenant protections and streamline tenant-improvement allowances so upgrades do not trigger lengthy land-use reviews. Shoffler said the draft will be revised to address policies identified as \"challenging\" under Department of Commerce racially disparate-impact guidance; one policy the displacement analysis flagged is already proposed for removal from the draft chapter.

Planners also outlined a review and public-engagement schedule: the city published an initial draft May 9, received the displacement analysis June 6, plans to provide a revised draft for the Land Use and Environment Committee on July 10, brief the Planning Commission and hold a public hearing by Aug. 4, return to the Land Use Committee Aug. 28, and bring the chapter to the council study session Sept. 16.

Manufactured-home communities: councilmembers pressed for more detail on manufactured-home preservation. Councilmember Gilman noted approximately 650 manufactured-home units countywide cited in earlier analyses and asked whether septic ties or sewer conversions threaten park viability; planners said many parks predate modern zoning and that existing MHP (manufactured-home park) zoning largely covers existing parks rather than enabling new parks under current code.

Data limitations and council guidance: staff and the consultant acknowledged gaps and lags in some census and market data and noted the 2020 census had limitations that complicated recent trend analysis. Councilmembers asked staff to pursue clearer, disaggregated measures of homeownership, foreclosure and renter-to-owner transitions so the city can track homeowner-to-renter shifts and better target preservation and anti-displacement policies.

Ending: staff asked for direction on whether the chapter and the displacement recommendations are on the right path. Councilmembers generally supported stronger anti-displacement language, called for measurable goals that could include an explicit Black homeownership goal, and asked staff to return with revised policy language and implementation options.","City planners and consultants presented the Olympia 2045 housing element and a regional displacement analysis that projects a need for roughly 14,000 new units by 2045, flags risks to low-income homeownership and rental availability, and recommends tenant protections, manufactured-home preservation and policy revisions for equity.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6657403,"Olympia council hears study on reparations options for descendants of enslaved people",4614,8000,4622000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5075350-f79bd45360b2fe9603cd54a61a8cb81e&start=8&end=4622","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5075350-f79bd45360b2fe9603cd54a61a8cb81e/thumbnail_8000.jpg","/articles/6657403/Olympia/Thurston-County/Washington/Olympia-council-hears-study-on-reparations-options-for-descendants-of-enslaved-people","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6657403-9de8eaf1b05eb859323f324c4b037ba7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189298&Signature=O07BYIji1ouFvhxMlrTsby3Y5UI7~EV3OJygJL4nGjq9~zYQda7q0YWVl5dkinlAcCl6h0odjxC8Pi-slbG8sIK9D9Hf~zOofsEAnzzQ2jUS5kS7iEa0FNrWYkawb0HH6ycKxV6YBd8tnrd3weyMhJtIDuxKTsLdpZVmmrDLt2Njp15fyeHoiXNJ1mEJyk31Ja7JaHNjVjlN7qQCO48enJjYV3lpFbJpvd4iexCLf5eVaMpc1cdyjtDYAlCnrZ5zqW9GDfWEAHvGs2fQq6LnUFqbJsZvIc2Wt9bGEDKQoGfY5F9Di5LuYVKM4KJvCWkYwfa6RW1C15Cuq2BHeSlHEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Payne convened the Olympia City Council study session on June 24, 2025 to receive a consultant briefing on reparations for descendants of enslaved African people and to discuss possible next steps for city-level action.

The briefing, prepared by consultants Dane Wolfram and Dr. Ashley Gardner of Trueclusion and introduced by Susan Grisham, assistant to the city manager, reviewed national examples, local data on racial disparities in homeownership, and a range of reparative options city leaders could consider. \"At the heart of this work is repair,\" Grisham said, \"We're looking at ways to address the generational harm caused by slavery and systemic racism and identify actions that can help descendants of enslaved African people in our community achieve healing, justice, and opportunity.\"

The consultants summarized their research on U.S. municipal reparations efforts and on Washington-state activity. They said they surveyed 23 U.S. cities and spoke with officials in several; the report notes that housing-focused remedies, including down-payment assistance, loan pools and home-repair programs, are the most commonly adopted first steps in cities studying reparations.

Why it matters: council members stressed that local reparations discussions must be grounded in legally and politically viable designs, measured goals and funding plans. Several councilmembers emphasized the connection between reparations and the city's broader housing and equity work, including the Olympia 2045 housing element and tenant protection work on the council's calendar.

Most of the meeting focused on policy options, legal constraints and program design. The consultants noted that a small number of cities have moved to direct cash or near-cash remedies: the report describes Evanston, Illinois' program, which distributed a total the consultants report as about $5,000,000 with a $25,000 per-recipient allocation in some components. City leaders and the consultants repeatedly cautioned that direct cash policies have prompted legal challenges elsewhere; as one consultant summarized the legal lesson, \"if you say, 'this is for Black residents,' that's where legal challenges arise; framing that assistance as for \u001ddescendants of enslaved people\u001d is one strategy jurisdictions have used to narrow eligibility and reduce legal risk.\"

The presentation included local data the council used to frame needs. The consultants cited Black Home Initiative figures saying roughly 42% of Black households in Washington state have zero net worth compared with about 14% of white households. They also cited U.S. Census American Community Survey 2019'1:2023 five-year estimates showing homeownership rates in Thurston County of 70% for white non-Hispanic households and 51% for Black households, with an even wider disparity inside the city of Olympia where the report lists a 34% homeownership rate for Black households.

The council and consultants discussed a set of community-generated ideas identified by the city's Social Justice and Equity Commission and by other jurisdictions: business grants and microloan programs, capacity-building for Black-owned businesses, various forms of housing assistance including down-payment assistance or loan pools, targeted home repair, and—less frequently implemented at the municipal level—direct cash payments. The commissioners' feedback to the council was described in the consultants' materials as a menu to explore, not an immediate set of mandates.

State role and next steps: Grisham and council members noted the state legislature provided a budget proviso of $300,000 to fund the Charles Mitchell and George Washington Bush study on reparative action for Washington state. That study, scheduled for 2025'27, will develop policy options the state could pursue. Grisham said the city intends to share its municipal study and the consultants' findings with state study teams to inform that larger body of work.

Council direction and outstanding questions: members asked for clearer, measurable local goals (for example, a homeownership goal for Black residents, which the November 2024 city resolution directed staff to study) and for legal analysis of eligibility frameworks. Several members urged using community-based, \"by-and-for\" partners to deliver programs and to test lower-cost, high-impact interventions such as expanded tax-credit outreach, voluntary free tax-preparation services and matched savings accounts. Councilmembers also flagged the risk that one-time municipal funds, if used for direct payments, could create long waiting lists without a sustainable revenue source.

What comes next: councilmembers and staff agreed to continue facilitated staff work to map possible links between reparations-related actions and ongoing planning efforts (the housing element update, the Olympia Strong goals and capital planning). The consultants and staff will provide updated drafts and the city will coordinate with the state study team.

Ending: No formal action or vote was taken during the study session. Councilmembers expressed continued interest and asked staff to return with more narrowly defined goals, legal options and funding scenarios consistent with both local priorities and the forthcoming state study.","At a June 24 study session the Olympia City Council reviewed a consultant\u000briefing on local reparations options, including housing-focused programs and legal and funding constraints. Councilmembers asked for clearer goals, coordination with state work and next steps for possible local programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City manager outlines options to balance 2026 operating budget; council sets broad guardrails

Council reviews Olympia 2045 housing element and displacement analysis; manufactured-home preservation highlighted

Olympia council hears study on reparations options for descendants of enslaved people