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Anacortes council reviews finance report, selects Tyler ERP and records several routine approvals
Summary
At the Jan. 13 Anacortes City Council meeting, the finance committee reported the city selected Tyler for a new enterprise resource planning system, sales tax receipts fell about 3.2% year-over-year, and council approved several routine motions including an interlocal aerial-imagery agreement with Skagit County and a historic board appointment.
Anacortes — At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Anacortes City Council heard a finance committee update that said staff selected Tyler as the city’s new enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendor, learned sales-tax receipts fell about 3.2% from the prior year and received notice that the 2023 state audit produced no written recommendations, council members said.
Councilmember Bolton, reporting for the finance committee, said staff and consultants had evaluated multiple systems and chose Tyler. “Tyler … stood head and shoulders above the rest. It was really an easy decision,” Bolton said during the committee report. Bolton also said the city will not immediately fill a senior accountant position after a forthcoming departure and that staff have redistributed responsibilities within the finance department.
The committee report also noted an approximate 3.2% decline in sales-tax receipts from the prior year and that the State Auditor’s Office issued strong marks for the city’s 2023 accounting work with no written recommendations. Bolton told the council a fuller finance update will be presented to the council and public on Jan. 21.
During public comment, resident Linda Martin urged clearer budget priorities and “guardrails” to restrain what she described as year-over-year budget growth tied to department requests. “Decide whether to increase taxes or not based on your knowledge of the communities you represent,” Martin said. Another resident, Nick Genovese, told the council that constituents oppose property-tax increases and asked council members to convey that view to state legislators in Olympia.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to excuse Councilmember Cleland McGrath from the Jan. 13 meeting — moved by Councilmember Bolton; seconded by Councilmember Young; outcome: approved by voice vote. (Recorded on the Jan. 13 minutes.)
- Consent agenda (items 5a, 5b, 5c) — moved by Councilmember Moulton; seconded by Councilmember McDougall; outcome: approved by voice vote.
- Appointment of Fletcher MacLean to the Anacortes Historic Preservation Board (three-year term) — moved by Councilmember Fantini; seconded by Councilmember Young; outcome: approved by voice vote.
- Interlocal cooperative agreement with Skagit County for aerial imagery (Interlocal Cooperative Agreement 25-026-GIS-001) — moved by Councilmember McDougall; seconded by Councilmember Fantini; outcome: approved by roll-call vote (all members voting “yes” as recorded).
Why this matters: The ERP selection will affect the city’s finance, permitting and human-resources systems and implementation costs and schedule; sales-tax trends and staffing decisions bear on the city’s near-term budget planning. The interlocal aerial-imagery agreement secures biannual high-resolution aerial photos for mapping and public-works uses at a reduced shared cost.
Council and staff next steps: staff will deliver a full finance briefing on Jan. 21. The aerial photography will be flown on the county consortium schedule and licensed to the city under the interlocal agreement.
