Orting holds public hearing on 2026 revenue proposal; council to continue budget work Sept. 20
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Summary
Finance staff briefed the council on proposed 2026 revenue sources — including projected sales, utility and property tax figures — and the council closed the hearing after questions; budget discussions continue at a Sept. 20 retreat and final adoption is expected by December.
The Orting City Council opened and closed a public hearing Sept. 10 on revenue assumptions for the 2026 budget, hearing a staff presentation that detailed projected city revenues and sources for next year.
Finance Director (staff brief) explained the city’s six revenue categories — taxes, licenses and permits, intergovernmental, charges for goods and services, fines and forfeitures, and miscellaneous revenues — and gave specific line-item estimates. Staff projected sales tax collections at about $1 million for 2026, and noted the city’s excise and utility taxes remain important revenue streams: electricity is on track to bring in about $350,000 in 2025 and was budgeted similarly for 2026; natural gas revenue was reduced in the 2026 draft to $200,000; cable and telecommunications revenues were budgeted more conservatively at $100,000 and $45,000 respectively. Property tax was forecast using preliminary assumptions and will be updated when assessed values are available in October/November.
The staff presentation also covered intergovernmental grants (Transportation Improvement Board, Washington Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce), fee and utility rate assumptions, and special items in the draft budget including a $10 million public-works board loan that staff has applied for in case work on the water-resource recovery facility begins in 2026. Staff noted a proposed new 0.1% public-safety sales tax in the mayor’s draft and $500,000 in one-time leasehold excise tax share the city could request from the county.
Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about the multi-year revenue graphs, and Councilmember Gunther thanked staff for adding a longer-range column set to show trends. The hearing closed with the council noting a budget retreat Sept. 20 where revenues and expenses will be examined in more detail; staff said the council will likely take final action on the budget in December.
No formal votes on revenue changes were taken at the hearing; the city will adjust assumptions as new assessed-value numbers and grant notifications arrive over the fall.