Kent holds public hearing on 2026 mid-biennium budget; finance director outlines opioid-settlement one-time requests and 6-year CIP

The Kent City Council held a public hearing Oct. 21 on the 2026 mid-biennium budget amendment, the proposed priorities for opioid-settlement dollars and the 2026'2031 Capital Improvement Program. Paula Painter, the city's finance director, presented the proposal and answered council questions; no members of the public testified and the hearing was closed.

Painter said the total 2026 budget is projected at $442,600,000, of which $132,100,000 is in the general fund. She told the council the proposed mid-biennium adjustments represent an increase of "just shy of $11,000,000, or 2.5%" over the adopted budget and that staff used conservative assumptions for salary and benefit changes when preparing the update.

The adjustment includes 16 additional full-time positions: 11 positions tied to the criminal-justice sales tax, one temporary IT position for two years, and four positions in the parks/facilities area (including staff to maintain the new Kent East Hill Operations Center and one golf-course maintenance worker). Painter said the criminal-justice positions would be supported by an estimated $3.65 million in sales-tax revenue.

On opioid-settlement funds, Painter described one-time spending requests totaling roughly $238,000 that the council would consider using for public-safety equipment, including a narcotics-detection canine, a narcotics-detection identification device and a whole-body security scan system. Painter said the city began 2025 with a beginning opioid-fund balance of more than $736,000 and that one-time purchases are an appropriate use of those funds.

Painter also summarized the required six-year capital improvement plan under the state Growth Management Act: the 2026'2031 CIP totals roughly $237 million, with about $40 million proposed for the 2026 mid-biennium budget year. Only the first year of the CIP is included in the biennial budget.

The public hearing produced no oral or written testimony; a motion to close the hearing carried, and the council will consider ordinance actions and budget amendments at a subsequent meeting.

Speakers

- Paula Painter, Finance Director (first referenced 00:57:59)

Authorities

- Growth Management Act (1990), referenced by staff in connection with the six-year CIP.

Clarifying details

- total budget (2026): $442,600,000 (as presented by finance director) - general fund (2026): $132,100,000 - net budget increase: about $11,000,000 (+2.5%) - added positions: 16 FTEs (11 criminal-justice positions supported by criminal-justice sales tax) - opioid-settlement one-time requests: ~$238,000 - beginning opioid fund balance (2025): >$736,000