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Yelm council approves first 2026 budget amendment, adds funds for projects and public-safety costs
Summary
Council adopted Ordinance No. 1144 to set beginning 2026 fund balances after closing 2025 books, carry over capital projects, and add funding for police pay and a new well and water tower planning; the amendment incorporated an anticipated USDA grant for the Bowler foot path.
YELM — The Yelm City Council on April 14 approved Ordinance No. 1144, the first amendment to the city's 2025'1 (sic) biennial budget, updating beginning fund balances and carrying forward unfinished projects into 2026.
Finance staff told the council that actual year-end balances for 2025 were about 22% higher than previously estimated, giving the city scope to roll over capital projects and add targeted spending. "Our beginning fund balance overall citywide is about 22% above what we estimated," staff member Stephanie said, noting the largest changes were in the general, utility and capital funds.
The amendment includes several specific adjustments: a roughly $7,000 carryover for an art-district seed allocation; about $64,000 rolled forward for public-safety hiring (officer equipment, fuel and onboarding costs); roughly $130,000 added to the general fund to cover police year-end holiday and comp-time cash-outs and premium pay; and budget changes across enterprise funds for water, sewer and stormwater planning. Council also authorized putting roughly $500,000 in the budget for a new well, water tower and associated water rights for the 640-acre property under city consideration.
Stephanie also told the council the city is adding a $1 million Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant to the budget for the Bowler foot path. "We haven't got the official letter yet, but we're adding that to the budget," she said.
Council members said finance committee reviewed the ordinance in detail earlier and that staff had shared line-by-line spreadsheets. The ordinance was moved and approved at the meeting; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
What happens next: the ordinance took effect upon council approval and staff will implement the carryovers and new spending authorizations as noted in the amended budget.
(Reporting note: the transcript contains a typographical error in one place referring to the "2526 biennial budget"; staff confirmed the city intended the 2025'026 biennial period.)
