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Council reviews final 2025–26 budget; staff says reserves and targeted capital make plan sustainable
Summary
Finance staff provided final review of the 2025–26 biennial budget, explaining how negotiated contracts, program requests, capital projects and conservative revenue assumptions shape projected deficits and reserve use; council asked for clearer reserve slides before final adoption.
Poulsbo finance staff presented the final review of the 2025–26 biennial budget on Dec. 11, noting the document incorporates recently ratified labor agreements, market reclassifications, program requests and capital projects.
The presentation included operating revenue projections ($17.2 million in 2025, $16.5 million in 2026), anticipated expenditures, and the planned use of reserves to cover strategic one‑time items and capital set‑asides. Staff emphasized conservative revenue estimates for new streams such as business‑and‑occupation tax and camera ticketing and explained that transfers to capital and debt‑service funds account for much of the difference between revenues and expenditures.
Council members asked for clearer presentation of where and how reserves are used. Staff said detailed line‑item spreadsheets and narrative summaries will be published online and attached to the ordinance when the council takes final action next week. Council members reiterated the importance of preserving operating capacity while using reserves for one‑time investments and asked staff for an updated reserves slide before the final vote.
No final budget ordinance was adopted at the workshop; the council planned to consider the ordinance at the next meeting, with a supermajority expected for adoption.
