Auburn council adopts $37.1 million final budget, establishes reserves and salary schedule

The Auburn City Council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 final budget, approving a $37,105,709 total and setting reserve targets and a salary schedule that becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Gretchen Johnson, the city’s finance director, presented the final budget and identified adjustments since the proposed budget, including a $46,000 increase in projected planning and building revenue tied to recent fee collections and an inclusion of a previously omitted $600,000 transit fund expenditure for electric vehicle charging station infrastructure that had been reflected in revenue. “In the proposed budget, we had just shy of $600,000 showing up as a surplus… we had an expense that was missing in that budget,” Johnson said, explaining staff corrected the transit fund projections.

The council adopted the budget resolution that also set general‑fund reserves at approximately $4.9 million, established an appropriations limit (staff noted an amount near $26.2 million), and approved the city’s salary schedule for the new fiscal year. Johnson noted the budget includes 79 funded positions citywide and reiterated that staff will return in the fall with a pension‑funding options analysis and a capital improvement plan proposal.

Council members thanked staff for a multiyear recovery in the general fund and for adjustments that reduced projected deficits. By roll call, the council approved the resolution to adopt the fiscal year 2025–26 final budget with an amendment to clarify salary-range presentation for director/executive positions.