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Council approves first reading of spring 2025 budget amendment; adds Yelm bridge project to capital list
Summary
On first reading the City Council approved Ordinance 02/1964 amending the 2025–26 biennial budget to recognize roughly $3 million in new appropriations, roll forward unspent 2024 authority and include specific grant closeouts; the ordinance also adds the Yelm canal-bridge upgrades to the capital facilities list for formal appropriation.
The City Council approved on first reading Ordinance 02/1964 on April 22 to amend the 2025–26 biennial budget and to include a set of capital and grant adjustments.
Finance staff reported the amendment increases overall appropriations by a little over $3 million. The amendment recognizes revenues related to grant closeouts and newly acquired grants (including Department of Natural Resources and RCO grants tied to parks and tree planting), adds previously approved council actions, reflects collective bargaining cost adjustments and rolls forward unspent 2024 appropriation authority into 2025. On the expenditure side, the general fund increase presented was about $808,147; the depot fund was adjusted upward by $5,925 to align expenditures with newly recognized revenues.
Staff explained the budget process timing: this is the spring amendment, followed by a summer amendment in July and the statutorily required mid‑biennium review in November, which also coincides with the 2026 property tax levy work. The amendment package presented to the council included a separate capital‑project listing for the City Light department so the council could formally add the Yelm Hydroelectric canal bridge project to the capital facilities plan and to the capital project list; staff said that addition is necessary before the city can legally appropriate the project funds.
Council approved the ordinance on first reading by voice vote; a second reading and final adoption will follow the standard public-notice schedule. The council gave direction to staff to proceed with arranging the capital list amendment for final adoption and to continue to report budget and permitting progress back to the council.
What changed in this amendment (highlights provided by staff): approximately $3 million in additional appropriation authority overall; about $808,147 of the increase in the general fund to cover DNR and RCO projects and collective bargaining adjustments; the depot fund increase of $5,925 to match revenue; and the insertion of the Yelm bridge project into the City Light capital project list so the project can be funded when Council approves final appropriation.
