09/20/2026
On Monday, city council discusses whether to increase sales tax by 0.25%. Nobody likes tax increases, but I think this one makes sense.. let me explain why..
At the last election, the voters asked us to do more. We ran a farmers market for 12 weeks for the first time. We organized a highly successful event for Big Boy. We brought back the 4th of July parade for the first time in 5 years. We are renovating Main Street for the first time in 31 years, including resident feedback that brings a pedestrian square on Galena Street.
When I say “we,” that’s not me— it’s the city staff that has been working 60+ hour weeks to make this happen on a shoestring budget and not nearly enough people to do all the things our community wants.
If you’ve been watching the 3 public budget workshops as closely as I have, you will see that everything I mentioned plus a lot more (soccer fields at the new Community Park, planning for the W. Washington St. property) outstrips the money coming in. We are absolutely looking at other sources of revenue, but this is a building phase where we’re stepping out of our comfort zone and doing more events, planning more growth, and entertaining new ideas. I don’t want to go back to the status quo where we pat ourselves on the back for keeping the lights on.
If you want to discuss this in a more interactive environment, please join us at the “Finance, Budget, and Sausages” chat where I’ll drop links to presentations, videos, and if there is more information you would like, we’ll try to get it for you!
https://m.me/ch/AbbLM_kJf3g0lFJv/
A City Council agenda summary table with item descriptions, money involved, and non-discretionary evaluations.
