Westfir Budget Committee approves $1,468,356 budget for 2025–26

The Westfir Budget Committee approved the city's fiscal year 2025—6 budget of $1,468,356 at a meeting on May 14, 2025. Councilor Deretta Huey moved to approve the budget and Elizabeth Stark seconded; the motion passed 7—60 (AYES: Watson, Huey, Cheatham, Choiniere, Packard, Stark, Williams).

Budget Officer Nicole Tritten presented an addendum outlining several changes since the committee's prior meeting that were incorporated into the final proposal. The addendum included a $40,000 interfund loan from the Sewer Reserve Fund to the Sewer Fund to pay for pumping the two primary tanks at the wastewater plant after accumulated solids contributed to permit violations for E. coli in December 2024 and April 2025. The package also included modest adjustments in the Highway Fund, and changes to the RTMP fund's web design and reserved-future-expenditure lines.

Tritten told the committee the interfund loan must be repaid in FY2026—6 and that, because there are no other resources in the Sewer Fund, the city expects a bank loan will be necessary to repay the reserve. Highway Fund changes included a $1,000 reduction in expected highway tax receipts and small increases to operating lines; RTMP web design and hosting was raised from $1,500 to $3,000 while Reserved for Future Expenditures was reduced from $5,000 to $3,500 with no change to the fund total.

The committee approved the budget by a 7—60 vote and moved immediately to adopt a permanent property tax levy for the same fiscal year (see related item). The meeting adjourned at 6:08 p.m.