Mount Rainier council unanimously adopts FY2025 budget amendment moving $23,000 to Arts Commission and $11,000 for mayoral travel

The Mount Rainier mayor and city council unanimously approved Ordinance O1-2025 (budget amendment number 1) at their Feb. 4, 2025 virtual meeting, transferring funds within the FY2025 budget to cover arts programming and mayor-and-council conference expenses.

Valerie read the ordinance text aloud, saying the amendment authorizes transfers "from line item 5598, contingency, amount 23,000 to line item 5555, Arts Commission, amount 23,000; from line item 5598, contingency, amount 11,000, to line item 5530, conferences/convention expenses, mayor and council, amount 11,000." The reading framed the amendment as an internal reallocation to meet current demand for goods and services.

After the reading, a council member moved to adopt the ordinance; another council member seconded. Mayor Selena Benitez announced there were no objections or abstentions and declared the budget amendment approved unanimously. The mayor then directed finance staff to implement the transfers, addressing "Mr. Kamali and our finance team" to carry out the change.

The ordinance cites the FY2025 budget adopted by ordinance O3-2024 in April 2024 and authorizes the listed transfers between appropriation line items to meet present needs. The council did not record a roll-call vote-by-name in the transcript; the mayor characterized the outcome as unanimous.

Next steps: Finance staff were instructed to enact the transfers and reflect the changes in city accounting; the ordinance was adopted on second reading and is effective per the council's action.

(Reporting is based on the ordinance reading and the recorded motion and vote at the Feb. 4, 2025 meeting.)