Yakima staff outline $9 million 2026 budget gap; recommend public-safety and parks levies plus fee changes

City Manager Vicki Baker and finance staff told the Yakima City Council during a study session that the city faces “a deficit of approximately $9,000,000” for the 2026 general fund and laid out a menu of cuts and revenue options to close the gap.

Baker, who led the presentation with staff, said the city has spent the last year adopting “priority based budgeting” and asked council members to weigh which services the community wants to keep. Finance presenter Craig Warner said the shortfall exists in part because one-time federal ARPA funds and higher reserves used to balance the 2025 budget will no longer be available for 2026.

The staff presentation grouped possible actions into three broad approaches: (1) expenditure reductions totaling about $9 million if the council chose to make cuts only; (2) voter-approved levies to restore some services; and (3) targeted revenue changes and fee adjustments. Warner summarized the scale: "we have a deficit of approximately $9,000,000." He and Baker emphasized that many of the line items would need additional analysis before being finalized.

Cuts on the staff list ranged across parks, public safety and other services. The presentation cited…