Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pullman finance director warns early signs show revenues leveling and cash balances dipping
Summary
Jeff Albrecht, Pullman’s director of finance and administrative services, presented the city’s first-quarter (Jan–Mar) 2025 financial report and warned that cash balances used to smooth operations are dipping and that several large capital expenditures are coming later in the year.
Jeff Albrecht, Pullman’s director of finance and administrative services, presented the city’s first-quarter financial update for 2025 (January–March) during the May 13 council meeting. Albrecht described revenue and expense trends, cautioned that quarter-to-quarter timing can distort comparisons, and said cash balances have been used to balance recent budgets.
Albrecht noted property tax provides about 30% of general fund revenue and is collected mainly in April and October by the county (submitted to the city in May and November), so first-quarter figures are not yet fully meaningful. Sales-tax receipts are timing-shifted (collections for a month are passed to the city roughly two months later); sales-tax revenue in Q1 was below budget overall though January matched projections. He said a transportation-benefit-district tax is accounted separately and began generating revenue in March (about $53,000 in that first month).
On other items, Albrecht said the city reallocated a portion of utility-tax revenue (roughly a half-million dollars) from a previous 25% transportation dedication back to the general fund to assist operations; he cautioned that much of that was a one-time shift rather than new revenue. General fund capital budget is about $2.5 million annually with roughly $1 million carried forward from prior years. Several large capital purchases—replacement buses, utility projects—are budgeted later in 2025 and will draw on cash balances.
Albrecht said departments are generally controlling operating expenses and performing close to budget, but that both the 2025 and 2026 budgets relied on drawing down cash; continued declines in citywide cash could require difficult operational and capital decisions. He recommended continued monitoring and noted that many revenue sources—property tax in particular—are constrained by state rules.
Council members asked clarification questions about the admissions/entertainment tax (5% on admissions only) and the new transportation benefit district; Albrecht said admissions tax is primarily driven by WSU athletics and that the city does not tax university buildings. The presentation concluded with council discussion of how to deploy TBD and metro-park funds for capital needs.
