Tumwater committee hears monthly budget update; members flag local business closures and federal shutdown risks

The City of Tumwater Budget & Finance Committee on Oct. 24 approved the minutes from its prior meeting and received a monthly financial briefing from Troy Niemeyer, the city’s finance director. Niemeyer reported a strong September for several revenue streams but warned that the federal government shutdown and missing federal economic data add uncertainty.

Niemeyer said the city collected "$979,000" in sales tax for September and that year-to-date sales-tax receipts were roughly $120,000 higher than the same period in 2023 (about a 1.58% increase). "What I'm hearing from my colleagues when I speak to them is, most cities are down in sales tax collection. So, we're we're doing better than most," he told the committee.

The presentation highlighted other revenue details: public-safety sales tax for September topped $99,000 and is $818,000 year to date; Niemeyer said if monthly receipts remain near $90,000–$100,000 the city could exceed the $940,000 annual…