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Olympia begins 2026 budget planning, flags long-term gap and launches priority-based review
Summary
City Manager Jay Birney briefed the council on the 2026 budget timetable, comparable-city analysis, priority-based budgeting and revenue options; staff flagged an $11.8 million 2025 shortfall, prior reductions of 27 FTEs and a need for May/June study sessions to identify further reductions or revenue changes.
Olympia — City Manager Jay Birney and finance staff told the Olympia City Council April 22 that staff will present a detailed budget briefing in May and continue work through the June retreat to address a persistent structural gap and identify options for 2026.
Birney said the council must adopt a balanced budget each year and that staff are bringing an expanded analytical toolkit, including priority-based budgeting, comparable-city analyses and a review of business-and-occupation (B&O) tax options. “We must adopt a balanced budget every year,” Birney told the council; he said staff expect the May study session to present program-level costs and recommended next steps.
Staff recapped actions taken to balance the 2025 budget: the council faced an $11.8 million gap and approved $7.7 million in reductions, including 27 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, and used $4.1 million of one-time fund balance. Birney said the city ended last year with roughly $3 million in fund balance above…
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