Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Harbor staff proposes 10% rate increase for 2026; board recommends forwarding to assembly
Loading...
Summary
Harbor staff proposed a 10% across-the-board rate increase to generate roughly $165,000 net and to help offset inflation and potential declines in raw fish tax revenue; the board discussed reserves and directed the item to the assembly for further action.
Harbor staff told the board that a proposed 10% rate increase for 2026 would generate about $165,000 in additional revenue over the prior year under current price assumptions and would help offset rising costs and potential declines in raw fish tax revenue.
"This 10% will give us another roughly about a quarter of 1,000,000 to the good," a staff member said while reviewing budget projections and the harbor enterprise fund balance. Staff later clarified the figure as roughly $165,000 compared with last year’s revenue under current assumptions.
Board members raised concerns about union wage negotiations, the volatility of the raw fish tax and the timing of any assembly decision. Staff noted the harbor’s enterprise fund balance of $4,600,000 and said roughly $500,000 of that is already committed to previously authorized projects.
A member moved to recommend the proposed rate increase to the assembly to allow formal public discussion; the motion was seconded and the roll call recorded mixed votes. The transcript does not record a final certified tally at the roll-call point included in the meeting notes. Staff said the assembly will receive the proposal and conduct the necessary public hearings and decisions.
What happens next: The rate proposal will move to the assembly for public notice, hearings and a formal vote. The harbor staff will include raw fish tax history and reserve balances with the assembly packet.
