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Bonney Lake officials warn of shrinking general fund; options include permit fees, B&O tax or small public-safety sales tax
Summary
At a Feb. retreat, Bonney Lake’s CFO presented a multi-year forecast showing a declining general fund unless the council either cuts programs or raises revenue. Councilmembers discussed permit fee changes, a business-and-occupation tax and a modest public-safety sales tax as options.
Bonney Lake’s chief financial officer warned council members at a Feb. budget retreat that the city’s general fund balance is on a downward trend and could shrink by roughly $700,000 per year under current spending assumptions.
"If you continue to spend the way you're spending currently," CFO Sherry (speaker 6) told the council, "the balance goes down by somewhere about $700,000 a year from '26 through '30." She said the forecast assumes conservative revenue projections and does not include continued funding for several limited-term positions now paid with ARPA dollars.
The projection prompted questions and a wide-ranging discussion over how to close the gap. Staff and council members outlined three principal approaches: cut services and positions, increase fees (notably…
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