City Councils Approve Budgets, Tax Changes

Several city councils approved budgets, tax levies or development-related financing. Des Moines approved a balanced two-year budget and property tax levy, while also addressing deteriorated structures and vacant properties. Rice Lake approved its 2027 budget levy after a contentious discussion over a proposed increase in Senior Center funding. Sedro-Woolley adopted its 2027–28 budget, restoring two police positions with partial grant support, increasing some business tax rates and declining an available property-tax increase. Fairfield approved a 4.99% tax-levy increase, citing pension obligations, and allocated surplus tax-increment-financing funds to local taxing bodies. In Lowell, the council approved a tax-increment-financing agreement for the Draper IMPACT Center after the company and local unions reached a separate agreement setting hiring goals for local residents and underrepresented groups.