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Anacortes mayor presents balanced 2026 budget after $9 million shortfall; council begins public-works review
Summary
Mayor Miller presented a proposed 2026 budget that staff says closed an approximately $9 million gap with a mix of expense reductions, revenue changes and staffing reductions. Council and staff began a detailed public-works budget workshop and asked for clearer capital-project prioritization and a centralized opioid-funds schedule.
Mayor Miller presented a proposed 2026 budget for the City of Anacortes that staff described as balanced but requiring significant reductions and structural changes to close an internal shortfall the administration estimated at about $9,000,000. "This is not a decision we make lightly," Mayor Miller told the council as she announced cuts that include removing 8.9 full-time equivalent positions across departments and measures that will affect 13 people currently employed by the city.
The mayor said the proposal would preserve core public-safety services while reallocating or deferring other programs and capital projects. The draft includes a 1% property tax increase and a proposed 2% increase to utility taxes for water, wastewater and stormwater; the…
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