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Takoma Park council approves utility tax increase, approves grants and several budget reallocations
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Summary
After a multi-hour budget reconciliation session, the council voted to raise the municipal utility tax (to $3.50), approved a $100,000 increase in community quality-of-life grants, shifted sidewalk and traffic-calming funding between the general and red-light camera funds, allocated $15,000 to Tree Tacoma and approved $25,000 for library programming; emergency assistance targeted at recent federal policy impacts failed.
The Takoma Park City Council completed a lengthy budget reconciliation session and approved a set of staff-recommended and council-proposed adjustments to the FY27 budget during the meeting.
On a 4–3 roll-call vote the council approved increasing the municipal utility tax to $3.50 (from $1.75). The motion advancing the $3.50 option was put forward by Council members Hansack and Weselek after the council considered alternative proposals to increase the rate to $2.00 or to $5.00. The roll call recorded aye votes from Council members Landman, Schlegel, Hansack and Weselek; nay votes from Council members Dybala, Gilbert and Mayor Searcy.
Council approved a $100,000 increase to the Community Quality of Life grant program, which staff and council members said would expand funding available for food security, immigrant-support services and workforce development grants; that vote passed by roll call. A separate proposal to set aside $70,000 labeled for direct emergency assistance tied to recent federal policy impacts was defeated on a roll call.
In a paired set of votes the council reallocated traffic-calming and sidewalk funding: staff recommended adjusting the split between general fund CIP and the red-light/stop-sign camera fund to add a Brighton Avenue sidewalk project. That package (a $75,000 decrease in the general-fund traffic-calming line and a $110,000 increase in the red-light camera fund) was approved.
On tree-planting funds, a $45,000 proposal to add to the Tree Tacoma program failed. The council later approved a smaller $15,000 addition to the Tree Tacoma fund. Council members who supported the larger amount said they wanted to restore planting capacity closer to last year’s level; those who opposed it cited the need to prioritize reserves and to explore county tree programs and alternative funding.
The council approved an additional $25,000 for library programming and materials (a smaller proposal of $50,000 was withdrawn), and approved $30,000 to purchase ballistic shielding for the council dais as a public-safety expense; council and staff discussed whether the funding should come from the facilities-maintenance reserve or the general fund before settling the appropriation.
Several police equipment items and timing of capital purchases (including armory and firearms-simulator items) were discussed and some items were deferred from FY27 to FY28 for scheduling or procurement reasons. The council also approved a number of staff-proposed reconciliation bundles by consent roll call earlier in the session.
City staff will reconcile the approved adjustments into final budget numbers and return the revised totals showing impacts on reserves and the tax rate as the council moves toward final FY27 adoption.
Votes at a glance
- Utility tax: increase to $3.50 — passed, 4–3. - Community Quality of Life grants: +$100,000 — passed (roll call yes). - Emergency assistance (targeted direct assistance line): +$70,000 — failed (roll call no). - Tree Tacoma: +$45,000 — failed; Tree Tacoma: +$15,000 — passed. - Library programming/materials: +$25,000 — passed. - Ballistic shielding for council dais: $30,000 — passed.
The council directed staff to finalize reconciled budget figures and to return updated reserve and tax-rate projections before final adoption.
