After two years of declining general fund revenues and cutting costs, the city of Buckley is hopeful that the next two years will reverse the trend.

Elected officials approved a 2025-2026 budget during the Nov. 26, 2024 meeting. As of Jan. 8, the most up-to-date city budget information is in the Nov. 26, 2024 meeting packet, and only preliminary budget information is available online.

According to budget documents, 2023 and 2024 were tough years for the city. General fund revenue in 2023 dropped by 3.6% over the last year, and dipped again in 2024 by 6.2%.

But the new budget — which for the first time, covers both 2025 and 2026 — hopes to more than make up for those dips. City Administrator Courtney Burnell said using biennium budgets reduces the overall time spent putting budgets together, improves strategic and long-term planning, and de-politicizes the process.

For 2025, the city hopes revenue will recover losses and return to 2024 general budget revenue levels with an 11.5% increase, wiping out the previous two years’ losses, and then some.

And in 2026, the city aims to make further gains with a 2.8% increase in general fund revenue.

But these gains are largely dependent on licenses and permits — which means the city is expecting a development boom in the near future — and sales tax.

According to the budget, the city’s license and permit revenue will jump from $406,000 to almost $834,000, a 105% increase, the largest positive change in the city’s budget. The city also budgeted another 12.8% increase in permit and license revenue in 2026.

”This projection is based on anticipated building permits tied to ongoing civil projects,” Brunell said, noting that permits come after land use approvals and civil engineering work, which has been happening in the city. “Over the past two years, we’ve seen significant activity in planning and civil engineering permits. As those projects progress, we expect a corresponding increase in building permit applications during 2025-2026.”

This increase in development will bring Buckley closer to its 2044 goal of adding 1,200 housing units, bringing the total to 3,200, by 2044, according to the recently-approved 20-year Comprehensive Plan.

The Comprehensive Plan also aims for the city’s population to increase by 3,000, for a total of 8,000 Buckleyites by 2044.

However, Mayor Beau Burkett warned in his executive summary of the budget that permit and license taxes are one-time revenue sources, and as the city grows, so does the city’s demand for services.

“Simply put, the larger the population, the greater the demand for services,” he said. “This may result in the need for a property tax levy lid increase in the future, but the City remains committed to using every available tool before requesting tax increases from our constituents.”

TAXES

Speaking of taxes, there are a few additional tax increases affecting residents this year.

The largest was a voter-approved levy lid lift to support the Buckley Fire Department, bringing up the property tax from 30 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value to 50 cents, and the new tax rate could be set there through 2030.

The city also imposed a 0.1% sales tax for its Transportation Benefit District to funnel revenue into street maintenance, freeing up general funds.

Finally, the city council approved collecting a little more in property taxes this year.

Municipalities and other government services can collect up to 1% more in property taxes over the previous year, as per state law. Buckley upped its property tax collection by 0.6% which will bring in just about $9,000 over the previous year.

CONTINUING, UPCOMING PROJECTS

Three major projects started in 2024 and will continue into this year.

One of the most visible is the Buckley City Hall renovations, which started last July and is expected to be completed late summer or early fall.

The project, which comes with a price tag of $2.8 million, adds 2,000 square feet for a new office area to accommodate a total of 18 employees, plus a conference room, multi-use front counter, revised entryway, a new roof, and other repairs.

Miller Park is also expected to get a facelift. The city spent last year securing grants and preparing park designs, and construction is expected to begin this biennium.

Less noticeable, but arguably more important, are upgrades to the Public Works Department services, including water main replacements, stormwater management upgrades, and enhancements to the wastewater treatment plant.

Other projects include a full reconstruction of Spruce St. (from Main St. to Mason Ave.), improving sidewalks and ADA accessibility, and various other road improvements contingent on grants.