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Shelton finance director warns of multi‑year shortfall, urges council to set service‑level priorities
Summary
Finance Director Mike Giddens told the March 25 study session that Shelton used ending fund balance to balance the 2025 budget and that continuing that practice is unsustainable; he urged council priority‑setting ahead of the May retreat to shape the 2026–27 budgets.
Finance Director Mike Giddens presented a multi‑year budget forecast to the Shelton City Council study session on March 25, outlining how the city used ending fund balance in 2025 and why staff recommend early policy decisions to avoid deeper cuts in 2026 and 2027.
The forecast matters because it frames likely decisions on service levels, staffing and one‑time capital projects: using unreserved fund balance to cover ongoing operations is not sustainable, Giddens said, and the council will need to decide which services to keep, cut or fund with one‑time resources.
Giddens said the 2025 adopted budget relied on some ending fund balance and that staff want to address the issue earlier in the process for the 2026 budget cycle so the council can set priorities before staff prepare detailed budget proposals. He told…
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