Utility rates increase for city’s budget
MEDICAL LAKE – The city has adopted its 2025 budget, revealing important changes aimed at improving public safety, parks, and city services. The city plans to increase rates for wastewater and garbage to address funding gaps, while also adding new staff to the recreation and planning departments. At the same time, the city is showing a reduced focus on city beautification and grants.
To balance costs, the city will raise utility rates for solid waste and wastewater. Parks investments will include automated bathroom locks, improved irrigation systems, and new maintenance vehicles. Recreation programs will expand with additional staff to meet community needs.
The 2025 budget proposes removing the lower steps from salary scales fro directors and adjusting upper steps to align with inflation and benefits increases. Wage increases were negotiated for union staff under existing agreements. While specific percentages are not stated in the documents, adjustments account for benefit cost growth (e.g., 7.3% increase in medical insurance).
The 2025 budget increases funding for public safety, mostly because sheriff costs and animal control expenses were underbudgeted in 2024.
Administrative services showed high budget usage in 2024 (94% by the third quarter), because of strain from unexpected IT and medical insurance costs.
The funding for public safety will grow, supporting sheriff contracts and an increased number of surveillance cameras. Wastewater funds are dedicated to upgrading equipment like UV disinfection systems and mixers, in hopes of retaining reliability for the long-term.
However, beautification and grant funds will see a reduced emphasis, and the city beautification department only used 5% of its budget in 2024. Only 20% of allocated grant funds were used by the third quarter of 2024, owing to delayed projects and unused awards.
The city’s general fund will be slightly lower in 2025, at $2.53 million compared to $2.55 million in 2024. The city has planned on lowering spending, so that the budget will be more balanced. In 2024, the General Fund Expenses were over $2.96 million, while in 2025, they are planning on spending $2.66 million.
Recreation programs are expanding with new part-time staff to make sure families will be able to enjoy more activities.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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