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Council adopts ordinance amending 2025 budget; removes one patrol FTE and reduces several line items
Summary
The East Wenatchee City Council approved Ordinance 2025‑o3, amending the 2025 budget (Ordinance 2024‑o6). Amendments include removal of one full-time equivalent in police patrol, reductions in several transfers and the reallocation of an annual transfer; staff said the measures are short-term pressure relief for the general fund.
On March 18 the East Wenatchee City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 2025‑o3, which amends Ordinance 2024‑o6 and adjusts the city’s 2025 budget. Council recorded the motion and, with no further discussion, carried the ordinance.
City staff described the amendment as a package of items intended to reduce short‑term pressure on the general fund. Josh, a city staff member presenting the amendment, said the changes include the removal of one full‑time equivalent in the police patrol division (salaries and benefits), removal of museum funding from the general fund, decreases to fleet rental transfers from the general fund and street fund to the ER&R fund, removal of half of the savings previously budgeted for a permit‑tracking program, and moving the annual transfer from the criminal justice fund to the general fund rather than to the ER&R fund.
Josh summarized the net fiscal effects described in the presentation: a $25,000 increase in general‑fund revenue, a $125,000 decrease in ER&R revenue, a $50,000 decrease in street‑fund expenses and a $276,000 decrease in general‑fund expenses. He and the mayor said department heads and the mayor jointly identified the changes and emphasized they are not necessarily permanent solutions.
A motion to approve Ordinance 2025‑o3 was made and seconded; council then voted "aye" and the motion carried. Council members indicated the expectation that another budget amendment might follow later in the year if additional adjustments become necessary.
During council discussion members asked how delaying half the permit‑tracking savings would affect implementation. Staff said the planned $45,000 permit‑tracking software purchase was being phased and that removing the $15,000 budgeted for the current year would delay full implementation by about a year.
The council did not attach additional conditions to the amendment at the meeting and did not vote on separate items; the single ordinance amendment was adopted as presented.
