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Council weighs biennial budget idea; new city manager and staff to study feasibility
Summary
Councilmembers discussed a proposal to move from an annual to a biennial budget. Members expressed mixed views and asked staff, including the new city manager, to evaluate potential savings, impacts on staff workload and effects on public engagement before any change.
Councilmembers debated whether the city should move from an annual budget cycle to a biennial process at the Feb. 25 meeting, with the new city manager and finance staff asked to study feasibility and report back.
Councilmember Larson introduced the idea, saying a two‑year cycle could create efficiencies, greater predictability for taxpayers and opportunities for departments to identify midterm savings. Several councilmembers echoed potential benefits but cautioned it could shift work and accountability in ways that would require careful design.
City Finance Director Julie (last name not stated) said she had seen mixed experiences reported by other jurisdictions: some realize efficiencies, others must perform significant mid‑cycle adjustments. City Manager Rebecca Grill, who was sworn in at the start of the meeting, said adopting a biennial budget in her first year would be challenging and recommended studying the approach for possible implementation in 2027.
Councilmembers raised concerns about loss of regular council input, the timing of elections and the need for staff buy‑in. Several asked staff to identify specific problems with the current process and to return with recommendations and comparisons to municipalities that use biennial budgets. The timeline for revaluation work — with the Department of Revenue preliminary numbers released in August and open book and board of review later in the year — also complicates any immediate switch in process.
Mayor and other councilmembers generally supported further study rather than an immediate change. City staff said they will analyze workload implications, potential time savings, and effects on transparency and voter representation, and report back in the coming months.
Ending Council directed staff and the new city manager to evaluate the proposal and return with a recommendation; any implementation would likely be targeted for a future budget cycle rather than the current year.
