Yamhill budget committee reviews FY 2025–26 proposal after council cuts administrator post to address general-fund shortfall

The City of Yamhill Budget Committee met April 22 and reviewed a proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget that staff said will balance only if several contingent grants and planned transfers come through and if reserve funds are used to cover a remaining general‑fund gap.

The committee elected its officers, opened and closed the required public hearing on the budget, and agreed to reconvene on May 4 to finalize several outstanding items including cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA), possible step increases and the timing of transfers from reserve funds.

The session followed recent council action to address a general‑fund shortfall. Meeting materials and staff said the city faced an unanticipated beginning‑balance hit from PERS back contributions and unbudgeted IT and other costs; staff described PERS back payments of roughly $125,000 and unbudgeted IT costs near $70,000, and said those and other items materially reduced the general‑fund beginning balance.

Kara Corrigan, who the committee and council named the budget officer and who presented the document, told the committee the proposal was prepared “in accordance with the best business practices recommended by GAAP…Governmental Accounting Standards Board and GFOA” and with Oregon administrative rules. Corrigan said the proposed budget does not assume a city‑wide cost‑of‑living increase and that the shortfall was concentrated in the general fund; other funds such as water, sewer and streets were described as solvent.

City staff…