YAKIMA, Wash. – The City of Yakima has launched an online survey to address future budget challenges. The survey, which opened last Thursday, aims to resolve a budget issue anticipated in 2026.
City Manager Vicki Baker highlighted the financial challenge, stating, “The city will bring in about 9 million dollars less in tax revenue than it will cost to provide basic services.”
Randy Beehler, Yakima’s communications and public affairs director, explained the causes of these challenges.
“One is inflation. Over the last three or four years, inflation has increased tremendously. We have three major tax sources to pay for those services and programs in the general fund: utility tax, property tax, and sales tax,” he said.
Beehler referenced Washington Initiative 747, passed in 2001, which limits property tax increases to one percent. The proposed increase would be more than one percent, costing an average of $20 per month, based on the average home value, requiring citizens’ permission.
The survey is designed to be quick and convenient to encourage participation. Beehler explained its structure:
“There’s a question about what’s your top priority out of those four major big bucket items in the general fund: police, fire, parks, and streets. The second question is, would you support increasing property taxes to support your top priority?”
The survey also includes a budget reduction exercise, where participants can explore more than 30 programs and services to identify potential cuts to meet the projected $9 million shortfall in 2026. Beehler emphasized the importance of community input.
“This is a democracy, and we need to hear from citizens and from the community about their level of support for increasing that property tax or their support for decreasing those services.”
The survey will remain open until mid-April, with results shared with the city council in May. You can access the survey on the city’s website.
