City finance staff says Goldendale’s general fund on track in Q2; utility and street funds skewed by capital grants

Finance staff presented the city’s second‑quarter financial review on Aug. 19, reporting that general fund revenue collections stood at roughly 49.89% of the annual budget through June 30, compared with 59% at the same point last year — a difference staff attributed to an internal reallocation of sales tax to street and public safety funds. Overall, staff said the general fund is “right where we want to be.”

Jen Forsberg walked council through revenue and expense variances across funds. She noted sales tax was performing well, property taxes were slightly above 50% of budget, and that leasehold taxes and other revenues had modest variances. On the expense side, the general fund was at ~42.8% of budget; staff recommended increasing certain 2025 budget line items to account for higher insurance costs and corrected salary allocations.

Utility and street fund percentages were heavily affected by capital projects and the timing of grant revenues. Forsberg cited $6.2 million in capital grants included in the utility fund budget and emphasized that capital timing, not operational underperformance, explained low revenue percentages in that fund. The street fund showed low revenue to date because anticipated grant projects have not yet begun; the TIB and other grants were noted as factors.

Council had few substantive questions; staff confirmed planned budget adjustments and said they will ensure 2025 budget documents allocate salaries and insurance appropriately for clearer year‑over‑year comparisons.

Next steps: staff will include recommended adjustments in 2025 budget proposals and monitor grant award and project timing.