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Walla Walla council adopts balanced 2025–26 biennial budget after public hearing
Summary
The council unanimously adopted ordinance 2024‑33, the 2025–26 biennial budget, which assumes modest revenue growth and includes staffing, service‑level and capital assumptions; staff and council emphasized continued monitoring and potential level‑of‑service discussions.
The City Council held the final public hearing and adopted the 2025–26 biennial budget (ordinance 2024‑33) unanimously on Dec. 4.
Budget staff detailed strategic priorities, revenue and expenditure assumptions and key projects. Sales tax was projected to grow 2.9% in each budget year; property tax growth assumptions and utility rate assumptions were explained. Staff noted that ARPA funds that bolstered the prior biennium have been exhausted and that the 2025–26 budget includes a mix of new revenue assumptions, rate adjustments and expenditure containment measures. The budget documents show a proposed general‑fund biennial total of $93,937,400.
Councilmembers and staff discussed levels of service, vehicle purchases and contingency planning; staff said departments were directed to limit nonessential spending and that budget amendments are brought quarterly to council for adjustments. A single Zoom commenter asked technical questions about agenda links and enterprise fund line items; staff responded that fund balances exist for contingencies and that the budget reflects known items at the time of publication.
After discussion, Councilmember X moved to adopt ordinance 2024‑33 and council voted unanimously to adopt the 2025–26 biennial budget.
