Burien council explores HB 2015 sales-tax option and revisits a failed levy as budget shortfall looms

At a Feb. 2, 2026 study session, the Burien City Council heard from City Manager Casey and Finance Director Caitlin about a growing general-fund shortfall and weighed short-term and medium-term revenue options, including adopting House Bill 2015 and revisiting a recently failed public-safety levy.

Caitlin gave a year-to-date overview of major revenue and expenditure lines and warned that the city’s reserves are projected to slip below its $10 million target after 2027 under current assumptions. Casey presented HB 2015 as a possible tool and said, “we would expect to earn about 2 and a half million dollars annually from the sales tax revenue from implementing House Bill 2015.” Staff also said adopting the tax would make Burien eligible for a statewide grant program described in the presentation as $100 million that would fund certain public-safety programs for participating jurisdictions.

Why it matters: staff portrayed HB 2015 as a one-year (through June 2028) council-adopted option that could partially close an annual funding gap and unlock grant funding targeted at public-safety and response programs. Council members pressed on program eligibility, whether grant funds could be used for co-response or other behavioral-health supports, and whether HB 2015 would primarily replace or supplement other revenue actions such as a levy.

Key details discussed - Expected revenue: staff estimated roughly $2.5 million annually from a 1% sales-tax option under HB 2015 but noted the arrangement is time-limited and subject to grant-application rules. - Grant eligibility: staff said HB 2015 adoption would open opportunities to apply for a statewide grant pool; staff had not yet settled on a likely grant award amount for Burien and said application guidance was still evolving. - Permitted uses: Casey listed allowable public-safety uses discussed in HB 2015 materials — hiring officers, training, domestic-violence services, diversion programs and co-response programs — and said grants must be applied for with a specific scope and reported on accordingly. - Co-response costs: staff reported current co-response staffing costs at about $125,000 per position, with anticipated higher market rates nearer $140,000; building a 24-hour co-response system was estimated by staff in the discussion to cost roughly $700,000 annually.

Council reaction and levy discussion Council members debated whether to pursue HB 2015 quickly or to instead or additionally prepare another levy campaign. Several members emphasized the need for more and earlier public outreach if council chooses a levy in the future; Council Member Sam Mendez noted the recent levy result was close and clarified a figure cited during the meeting, saying the levy had received about 47.25% support rather than the larger margin a staff speaker initially stated.

Public commenters had pressed the council on levy strategy and on accountability. Kelsey Van Hee, speaking during public comment, said the levy’s failure pointed to a trust and communication problem and added, “I also have serious doubts about the city manager's leadership and the effects it has had on city staff.” That allegation was not addressed in a formal response during the meeting.

Informal direction and next steps Council gave staff an informal thumbs-up to pursue drafting an ordinance for HB 2015 and to return with more detailed materials, including grant-application guidance and program cost estimates. Casey told the council staff could “bring an ordinance as soon as next week” if directed. Finance staff will continue department-level work to reallocate internal-service charges and refine cost estimates ahead of formal proposals.

Other budget items Staff also reviewed department budgets and internal-service funds, noting that prior use of ARPA dollars had inflated recent-year expenditures in some areas and that city insurance costs have risen sharply (staff cited increases in the city’s property and liability insurance from roughly $477,000 in 2022 to about $1.1–$1.2 million in 2024). Staff described steps to realign internal service-charges so programs bear their true costs and discussed a new B&O tax software rollout to improve revenue administration.

What’s next Staff will return with draft ordinance language and more detailed financial analyses on HB 2015 and grant opportunities. Council also collected priorities for the 2027–28 budget at the session and will use those inputs at a retreat and in future budget hearings. The council recessed to an executive session on litigation before adjourning at 8:42 p.m.

Attributions: Quotes and figures in this report come from City Manager Casey and Finance Director Caitlin during the Feb. 2, 2026 study session, and from public commenters Kelsey Van Hee and Terrence Jorgensen during the public-comment period.