Redmond finance director outlines mid‑biennium budget updates and introduces House Bill 2015 revenue option for criminal justice funding
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Summary
Finance Director Kelly Cochran reported on service‑enhancement hiring and spending status, described a potential funding package under House Bill 2015 that could generate roughly $5.5 million annually for criminal‑justice programs, and asked council whether to schedule a January public hearing while members requested more analysis and time to consider alternatives.
Finance Director Kelly Cochran gave a mid‑biennium budget briefing and described progress on service‑enhancement packages, hiring and the city’s long‑range financial strategy. Cochran said many hires have been phased and some positions remain on hold pending partner funding, and reported that overall implementation of the enhancement packages is underway or planned for 2026.
Cochran then reviewed House Bill 2015, a state funding opportunity that ties a local criminal‑justice sales tax to eligibility for a one‑time grant. She said the city already receives shared criminal‑justice revenue from King County — "We receive about $500,000 to $600,000 annually" — which helps qualify Redmond for the state mechanism. Cochran described the grant versus sales‑tax tradeoffs and said the legislation could yield "$5,500,000 annually that can be dedicated to criminal justice," if the city implements the local sales tax alongside grant applications.
Council members reacted cautiously. Some members expressed interest in exploring grant applications and targeted investments if the city were to pursue the revenue option. Others urged more detailed analysis before scheduling a public hearing. Councilmember Stewart suggested folding the conversation into next year’s budget to weigh competing priorities and to avoid making a sales‑tax decision without fuller context; Councilmember Stewart noted impact on earlier budget choices, such as the business license fee increase used to fund a mental‑health professional.
Council Vice President Forsyth and others asked staff to return with specifics about program priorities, estimated taxpayer impacts and contingencies if partner funding (for example, Sound Transit support or King County agreements) does not materialize. Chief Lowe, responding to a question about staffing benchmarks, clarified a phrasing in materials: "we are last" in state measures on officers per capita, acknowledging the handout should read 'fiftieth' and stressing local staffing comparisons.
Cochran said she would schedule a public hearing in January if council wants to proceed and asked for direction on whether to continue moving the business license ordinance for 2026 as budgeted; council members agreed to move that ordinance forward to consent next week and to revisit tax‑policy choices during upcoming budget discussions.
Next steps: Staff will prepare further analysis of the HB2015 option (tax incidence, grant opportunities, priority uses) and return with materials for a deeper study‑session discussion in January before any public hearing is scheduled.
