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Council concurs with finance committee: payrolls, contracts, recruitment incentives; budget amendment moved to second reading
Summary
The council concurred with multiple finance committee recommendations including approval of accounts payable and payroll, authorization of a sales‑tax change order, a lease addendum and audit engagement; the body also approved increases to lateral police recruitment bonuses and placed a biennial budget amendment ordinance on second reading.
The Renton City Council on July 13 concurred with the Finance Committee on multiple items ranging from routine payments to incentive changes for police recruitment and a budget amendment placement.
The finance report included a recommended accounts‑payable and voucher payment of $10,744,620.29 and payroll totaling $2,429,372.22 for the June pay period; the council approved the report by voice vote.
The committee also recommended ratifying a memorandum of understanding with the Renton Police Guild to increase incentives for lateral recruitment: the employee referral bonus would rise from $5,000 to $15,000 and the lateral‑hire bonus from $20,000 to $40,000, paid over a three‑year schedule. The city attorney explained a recent state law change prevents clawback agreements, so the incentives are paid as earned over three years without an enforceable payback clause.
Other committee recommendations the council approved by voice vote included change order 11 to contract 25‑16 with Shewhart Corporation to add Washington state sales tax in the amount of $669,830.64 for the Renton Market in Piazza Park; a one‑year lease addendum with Renton Business Ventures Inc. (doing business as Evergreen Refreshments) at $65.96 per month for unstaffed concession services in City Hall; and an engagement letter with the Washington State Auditor's Office for the 2025 fiscal audit at an estimated cost of $122,000.
Finally, the council voted to place an ordinance amending the 2025–26 biennial budget (increasing budgeted revenues by $7,130,175 and expenditures by $10,365,650 and adjusting the 2026 salary table) on second and final reading at the next meeting.
What happens next: staff will finalize documents for the second reading of the budget ordinance; the city will implement the recruitment incentive pay schedule and proceed with the approved contract change and lease adjustments.
