Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Forks council adopts 2026 budget; lodging tax allocations deferred to Jan. 12
Summary
The City of Forks adopted Ordinance No. 686 (the 2026 budget) on Dec. 22. Council debated lodging tax award changes — an amendment to deny one applicant and reduce several awards was tentatively defeated and the council agreed to revisit the allocations at its Jan. 12, 2026 meeting.
The City of Forks City Council adopted Ordinance No. 686, the city's 2026 budget, during its regular meeting on Dec. 22. Mayor Tim Fletcher explained legal requirements tied to budget adoption and voting when a council member has a remote interest in a lodging tax application; Attorney/Planner Fleck added guidance drawn from MRSC resources. Council Member Wood moved to adopt Ordinance No. 686, Council Member Soha seconded, and the motion carried.
The meeting included a substantive exchange over lodging tax revenue allocations. Public commenters included Donna Blakeslee, owner of Blakeslee's Bar & Grill, who apologized for missing a prior special meeting on lodging tax allocations and addressed her application; Lissy Andros, director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, read a prepared letter regarding the chamber's applications; and Melene Bourm, the chamber's secretary, urged that all applicants be granted their requests.
On the council floor, Council Member Soha moved and Council Member Gingell seconded an amendment that would have denied Blakeslee's Bar & Grill's request and reduced several awards: Forever Twilight in Forks Festival from $50,000 to $35,000; Forever Twilight in Forks Collection from $36,000 to $27,500; and the Visitor Information Center from $170,000 to $160,000. The amendment was described by proponents as a reallocation of lodging tax resources; opponents raised legal and procedural questions about the number of votes required when a member has a remote interest. The amendment was tentatively defeated 2'1, with Council Member Wood voting against the amendment. The council agreed, on a subsequent motion by Soha and second by Gingell, to confirm the status of the original lodging tax motion and to take any necessary action at the Jan. 12, 2026 Regular Meeting.
Other routine actions tied to city finances were recorded on Dec. 22. Council approved minutes from the Nov. 24, 2025 Special and Regular Meetings and the Dec. 1, 2025 Regular Meeting. The council also approved payroll checks 45173 through 45188 totaling $80,956.28 and claim checks 45189 through 45232 and EFTs included in a total claims amount of $231,691.08.
The council's next procedural step on lodging tax allocations is to reconvene the matter at its Jan. 12, 2026 meeting to confirm allocation status after verification with MRSC on voting and conflict rules.
