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Richland council approves 2025 budget adjustments to fund equipment, software and traffic projects
Summary
Council approved Ordinance No. 2025-35 on first reading to amend the 2025 budget across several funds, reallocating reserves and grant balances for fire equipment, streetlighting, software, opioid-settlement transfers and traffic-safety work.
RICHLAND — The Richland City Council on Oct. 21 approved a first reading of Ordinance No. 2025-35, a package of adjustments to the 2025 budget that reallocates funds for emergency equipment, software projects and neighborhood traffic-safety work.
Finance Director Brandon Allen presented the ordinance and the adjustments it contains. Among the items Allen described were a partial grant of $16,000 and an additional city appropriation of $119,000 to replace firefighter hydraulic rescue tools; roughly $167,000 to complete a streetlight project using reserves; multi-year funding to continue an asset-management/work-order software implementation; and transfers related to the national opioid settlement.
Allen said the city will transfer about $1 million in restricted opioid-settlement funds (including $133,000 received this year) to Benton County, which will administer those dollars under an existing interlocal agreement. He also outlined transfers to support golf-course projects (about $283,000) and adjustments to CDBG and HOME grant fund balances (a roughly $30,000 reduction to a transfer out due to lower CDBG revenue and a net HOME change of about −$60,000 to +$65,000 depending on fund). Allen told council there is about $780,000 of excess cash in the Fire Station Construction Fund — driven by earlier ARPA funding and higher-than-expected interest income — that the city will transfer to the streets fund to accelerate the neighborhood traffic-safety program, plus roughly $270,000 budgeted in 2025 for updates at older fire stations.
Council members praised the reallocation. Council member Shane Van Dyke thanked staff for prioritizing the asset-management process in conjunction with organizational changes and for advancing traffic-safety projects. Council member Meyer also supported using available reserves to address neighborhood traffic concerns.
The council voted unanimously to approve Ordinance No. 2025-35 on first reading. The ordinance will return for a second reading and final adoption as required by law.
Why it matters: The adjustments move one-time or restricted balances into projects described by staff — including fire-rescue equipment and traffic-calming measures — and alter grant-related transfers to reflect updated award levels.
