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Council adopts FY2025–26 budget and ratifies tax increase; Cellebrite line item voted separately
Summary
Council adopted the fiscal 2025–26 budget with amendments to personnel and organizational charts, approved a Cellebrite line item separately (recorded as abstain by one member), and ratified a property‑tax increase reflected in the budget; a proposed $250,000 Uber rideshare line was debated and later retained in the adopted budget after amendment.
Finance Director Alberta Barrett summarized changes to the FY2025–26 budget packet and council considered related public hearings. Barrett said staff added $1,118,248 in revenues (including a $600,000 settlement recorded as revenue and a CIP transfer of $480,748) and presented revised expenditure lines that included funding adjustments for two new right‑of‑way/traffic positions and changes to police line items.
Council first voted separately on a Cellebrite forensic software line (noting Councilmember Thompson disclosed a conflict and recorded an abstention on that line item), then considered a motion to adopt Ordinance O‑2025‑033 adopting the annual budget. During debate members proposed and rejected amendments (including one to remove a $250,000 Uber rideshare pilot and add PD IT staff); ultimately council amended the budget to replace a canine officer position with a crisis intervention officer (start Q2) and add an IT specialist for PD (start Q2), and approved the overall budget on a 5–2 vote. The fund‑balance projection after changes was reported at roughly $8.395M (about 23.9% of the target reserve).
Council also passed a resolution ratifying the property‑tax increase reflected in the budget (resolution number cited in the packet) by a 5–2 vote and adopted the tax rate that will raise more maintenance and operations revenue than last year while lowering the effective rate for a $100,000 home by $13.62 (the adopted rate 0.385928 was announced in session). Multiple councilmembers voiced objections to individual spending choices, including the rideshare pilot and training reductions; others argued the budget increased reserves and fully funded road maintenance.
The budget and tax‑rate votes concluded the major fiscal decisions for the meeting; staff will finalize line‑item documentation and effect the personnel and budget changes in the October fiscal implementation cycle.
