Council discusses city’s proposed budget expenditures

Updates from Oct. 1 meeting.

By Keelin Everly-Lang • October 4, 2024 5:00 pm
In other action at the Federal Way City Council’s Oct. 1 meeting, Diana Noble-Gulliford (center) received the Mayor’s Key to the City for nearly 40 years of service to the community. She is a former councilmember, planning commissioner and past director of the Historical Society of Federal Way. Photo courtesy of Bruce Honda
In other action at the Federal Way City Council’s Oct. 1 meeting, Diana Noble-Gulliford (center) received the Mayor’s Key to the City for nearly 40 years of service to the community. She is a former councilmember, planning commissioner and past director of the Historical Society of Federal Way. Photo courtesy of Bruce Honda

Mayor Jim Ferrell’s proposed biennial budget for 2025-2026 is currently being considered by the Federal Way City Council. It includes continued investments in public safety, 100-year infrastructure and needed updates.

“When the light rail opens in a year and a half, the city’s going to bloom…that’s why this infrastructure is so important,” Ferrell told the Mirror.

One of those investments is the previously announced new Maintenance and Operations Facility. This project is $53 million with a yearly debt service of $5.8 million.

The current building held the first City Hall when the city first incorporated 34 years ago.

When it comes to the new Maintenance and Operations Facility, Mayor Ferrell spoke to the history of the current building as the first City Hall when the city first incorporated — “when they opened the bay doors, birds would fly in.”

Looking at these numbers, Council President Linda Kochmar said it’s important to remember that “we’re still a developing city. Renton and Auburn are much older than we are.”

Public safety investments include the addition of one new full-time police lieutenant and three police officers for the Federal Way Police Department, and one additional civilian police records clerk.

The mayor shared that the city recently was approved for grant funding through the Federal COPS Grant that will pay for 75 percent of these additional positions.

Other continued public safety investments include $300,000 toward police vehicles, a $250,000 increase in the cost of body cameras, and an increase of $150,000 for public safety communications.

Paying for the city’s financial needs relies on a variety of sources, one of which are changes in their investments that are now generating $4 million per year versus a previous $80,000 per year in years past.

This “really allows us to make sure we are invested in what we need to, whether that is employees, making sure they’re keeping up with the cost of living, or infrastructure like our roads the new operations and maintenance facility,” Ferrell said.

Kochmar said that one addition she hopes to see to the budget would be a program to support businesses attempting to respond to the impact of a broken window.

The entirety of the mayor’s proposed biennial budget for 2025-2026 is available on the city’s website.