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Yelm holds first readings on mid‑biennium budget amendment and property tax levy; no action taken
Summary
City finance staff presented a mid‑biennium budget amendment and the proposed 2026 property tax levy at first readings. Both items were opened for public hearing, drew no public testimony, and will return for second readings with updated figures from Thurston County.
At the meeting the Yelm City Council heard first readings and public hearings on two budget matters: Ordinance 1137, the mid‑biennium budget amendment, and Ordinance 1138, the ad valorem property tax levy for 2026. No public testimony was offered on either hearing and no formal action was taken; both items will return at second readings once county assessor figures are finalized.
Stephanie (finance staff) presented Ordinance 1137, describing adjustments the city will make now that contract salary and benefit figures are finalized. She said salary and benefit adjustments will be updated in the revised budget, and noted additional costs tied to police training and academy participation of roughly $15,000 per year. Stephanie also said the city no longer expects to begin principal and interest payments on the Department of Ecology loan for the wastewater facility (WRF) until 2027; staff will remove those payments from the 2025 line items for now.
On Ordinance 1138 (property tax levy), Stephanie walked council through the assessor’s levy book and explained how the levy is apportioned among taxing jurisdictions (schools, state, counties, cities). Using the figures she had submitted to staff, Stephanie said the proposed levy amount in the budget is $1,855,360 with a banked capacity of about $71,849 and that the council was proposing not to take the 1% increase for 2026. She showed the proposed levy rate as 0.9676 per $1,000 of assessed value and compared that to last year’s rate of about 0.9814; using a Zillow average home value of $482,696 for Yelm, she showed an illustrative city tax of about $478 in 2026 versus $483 in 2025.
Councilors asked clarifying questions about the meaning of "banked capacity" (how unused 1% capacity accumulates for up to three years), the immediate effect of declining to take the 1% on individual property tax bills (it prevents that additional increase), and statutory levy caps. Stephanie cautioned that Thurston County assessor numbers were still fluid and the council will revisit precise figures at the second reading.
Both hearings were opened and closed with no members of the public speaking; council took no action on either ordinance at this meeting as required by first‑reading procedures.
