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Buckley council signs $10,000 consultant contract to map fire‑funding options as HB 2015 sales‑tax option considered
Summary
Council members discussed state House Bill 2015 grant eligibility and a councilmanic 0.1% sales‑tax option to support first responders; the council also approved a contract (up to $10,000) for a consultant to model fire‑department financing and staffing scenarios.
At the Buckley City Council study session on July 7, staff reviewed state options for public‑safety funding and the council announced an outside consultant contract to model fire‑funding alternatives.
Staff explained HB 2015 provides a grant program plus a councilmanic 0.1% sales‑tax option to fund hiring of first responders; eligibility requires completing a set of training and other 'checkbox' requirements even if the city ultimately does not accept the grant.
"It is the one that created a grant program and a sales tax option ... you had to be eligible to get the grant funding," said the finance presenter (Staff member, S6). He added the councilmanic 0.1% option could yield roughly $190,000 under current estimates and that the council would need to complete eligibility steps to use that sales‑tax tool.
Separately, a council member (Committee member, S7) announced a newly executed contract with a financial consultant. "We we signed a contract with a financial consultant for up to $10,000 to lay out a financial plan for all the different options," the council member said, and staff said the outside review will accelerate development of cost and staffing scenarios for fire department choices.
Why it matters: council members stressed the need to balance public‑safety coverage and fiscal sustainability. Several members said they want clearer department budget recommendations and stated reluctance to ask voters for new revenue until concrete expenditure reductions and staffing plans are documented.
Next steps: staff will work with the consultant and return with numerical options later in the fall; any council action to adopt a sales tax or levy lid lift would follow public engagement and the appropriate ballot process.
