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Washington Terrace previews FY2026 tentative budget, flags 4% utility base increase and law-enforcement cost rise
Summary
At its April 1 meeting, Washington Terrace leaders reviewed the fiscal year 2026 tentative budget and highlighted priorities including a proposed 4% increase to the utility base rate, an 8% rise in the sheriff contract, and continued work on Romer Park Phase 3.
At its April 1 City Council meeting, Washington Terrace city staff presented the city’s fiscal year 2026 tentative budget and a draft fiscal plan through 2027–2030, outlining priorities that include a proposed 4% increase to the utility base rate and an expected 8% rise in the sheriff contract.
City staff emphasized capital and operational priorities central to the draft budget, including finishing Romer Park Pickleball Complex Phase 3 and maintaining service levels across public works, parks, courts and utilities. City administrative staff noted the city secured $500,000 in grant funding to help supplement what the presentation described as about $470,000 in local spending toward the Romer Park project.
Tom (staff member, City administration) said law enforcement costs are increasing under the city’s contract with Weber County. As presented, the sheriff contract will rise by about 8%, or roughly $106,155, bringing the city’s contract cost to “just a little over $1,200,000,” Tom said. He noted the city’s long-term change from a local police department to contracting with Weber County in 2004 and said that contracting has kept costs lower than maintaining an independent police force.
Tom described personnel and benefits assumptions in the draft: a roughly 3% wage increase in line with comparable cities and an approximately 6% rise in benefits costs. The presentation said those adjustments are intended to keep the city competitive for recruiting and retaining staff.
On utilities, Tom presented a recommended 4% increase to the utility base — a $3.40 rise that would move the existing base from $81.85 to $85.25, per the presentation. The city said per-thousand overage rates for culinary water and wastewater would remain flat from the prior year at $5.10 per thousand for culinary water and $5.05 per thousand for wastewater, and that billing is calculated on a per-gallon basis. The presentation characterized the overall 4% increase as intended to cover rising wholesale and operating costs.
Council and staff also discussed the city’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and a customer-facing app. City staff said the AMI platform has improved customer service by allowing staff to review hourly usage graphs with customers. Staff indicated a target rollout date for the customer app was being pursued with vendor partners; staff in a morning update to administration were reported to have indicated a May 1 target for additional functionality, though staff said final timing remains subject to vendor work.
No budget ordinance or rate ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the presentation was described as a follow-up to a work session earlier that evening and as material that will appear in the forthcoming tentative budget documents.
The council approved routine consent items by voice vote earlier in the meeting, and later moved to adjourn; the adjournment motion was seconded and passed with an affirmative voice vote.
Looking ahead, staff said the tentative budget materials will be published as required and that additional hearings and formal steps will follow the city’s standard budget-adoption schedule.
