Estacada budget committee adopts $61.7 million budget, reallocates $600,000 from contingency to sewer and water work

Chair Paul Strobel presided over the Estacada Budget Committee meeting where members approved the 2025–26 city budget as amended and certified the property tax rate for collection.

Budget Officer Wagner presented the budget and told the committee, “I will just say right up front, I have 27 slides in case you're counting,” before walking through department highlights, capital projects and reserve plans. Wagner described the proposed total budget as “just over $61,000,000,” noting a 23% increase from the prior year driven largely by a planned $32,000,000 expenditure to begin construction of a new wastewater facility.

Nut graf: The committee approved the budget after an amendment that shifted $600,000 from the general fund contingency—$500,000 to sewer I&I (inflow and infiltration) projects and $100,000 to water system maintenance—to accelerate work staff and committee…