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Sunnyside Council adopts $50.07 million 2026 budget, approves Q1 hiring freeze and compensation schedule
Summary
The Sunnyside City Council on Dec. 29 approved a $50,065,242.63 ordinance adopting the 2026 budget and a 2026 classification and compensation schedule. Council accepted using a maturing $1 million bond transfer-in, agreed to a targeted hiring freeze for the first quarter and discussed a 5% utility/garbage rate increase to eliminate cross-subsidies.
Sunnyside City Council on Dec. 29 adopted the city's 2026 fiscal year budget, a 2026 classification and compensation schedule and several related budget-management steps after several hours of questions about staffing, utility rates and accounting practices. The ordinance the council approved sets the total 2026 budget at $50,065,242.63.
The budget vote followed a detailed presentation by Monica Hofstadter, who staff introduced to review the budget books distributed to council on Dec. 12. Hofstadter told the council the proposed general fund includes a $1,000,000 transfer-in from a bond maturing in March and a second $1,000,000 maturing in September; she said the city can draw temporarily from the Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) and then replenish it when bond proceeds arrive.
"We would bring back a budget amendment in the first quarter of this year," Hofstadter said, explaining staff will complete reconciliations and return to council with any adjustments. Councilor Hart said he was wary of treating the not-yet-received bond funds as…
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