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Westfir budget shows $39,000 General Fund shortfall; staff proposes SRS fund exchange with county
Summary
Budget Officer Nicole Tritten told the committee the proposed FY2026–2027 budget totals $1,436,525 and shows an approximate $39,000 shortfall concentrated in the General Fund. She recommended seeking an exchange of Secure Rural School funds with Lane County to free General Fund dollars for police services; a loan remains the fallback option.
Budget Officer Nicole Tritten presented the proposed fiscal year 2026–2027 budget, saying, "The amount of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026–2027 is $1,436,525." She told the committee the proposal leaves "a budget shortfall of around $39,000," concentrated in the General Fund and driven primarily by growing public-safety costs.
Tritten outlined three broad options to close the gap: (1) a municipal fee on utility bills, which she described as impractical to implement this year; (2) an exchange of Secure Rural School (SRS) funds between the City's Highway Fund and Lane County's General Fund so the exchanged funds could be used to pay police services and thereby free General Fund dollars; and (3) taking a loan as a fallback. She said the County's finance team was considering Westfir’s request for the SRS exchange. The committee asked staff to pursue follow-up with the county and to return options and potential schedules at the May 19 meeting.
