City Council Special Meeting — Yakima, WA
Date: 2025-07-24

YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
 July 24, 2025
 City Hall - Council Chambers - 129 N 2nd Street, Yakima WA
 5:30 PM City Council Special Meeting - Conducted in person and virtually via Zoom.

1) Roll Call
 Present: Mayor Patricia Byers, presiding; Assistant Mayor Matt Brown and
 Councilmembers Reedy Berg, Janice Deccio, Rick Glenn, Danny Herrera and Leo Roy
 (attending remotely via Zoom)
 Staff: City Manager Vicki Baker, City Attorney Sara Watkins and Deputy City Clerk
 Brandy Bradford

2) Public Comment (allow 15 minutes)
 Dana Johnson, City resident, addressed comments made by a Budget Committee
 member in a local radio interview and spoke against a potential levy.
 Tony Sandoval, City resident, provided suggestions for budget savings.
 Jeanna Hernandez, City resident, clarified comments made in a radio interview about
 the budget and noted that ample public participation opportunities were made available.

3) Special Meeting Items
 3.A Council requested cut package discussion
 City Manager Vicki Baker and Director of Finance and Budget Craig Warner
 outlined the proposed cut package. Warner detailed the changes that were
 incorporated from Council suggestions and identified those that were unable to
 be reduced due to mandated requirements.
 After extensive Council deliberation,
 MOTION: Glenn moved and Deccio seconded to accept the proposed cuts as
 illustrated. The motion carried by unanimous vote.

 The proposed budget reductions illustrated totaled $3,000,511 and included:
 eliminate lobbying and Council travel; eliminate funding for fireworks; reduce
 Windows Alive funding; eliminate flowers downtown; reduce funding to YCDA;
 reduce Economic Development staff; remove Main Street match; streamline Civil
 Service; reduce Financial Service department; eliminate trolley maintenance;
 eliminate alley maintenance; eliminate funding for sidewalk improvements; reduce
 street maintenance funding; create reserve for snow and ice control funding;
 reduce Tahoma Cemetery watering; eliminate graffiti removal program; eliminate
 day camps; eliminate funding for adult sports program; reduce funding for
 community recreation; eliminate youth sports programs; close Franklin Pool (2027
 capital refurbish); reduce Washington Fruit Community Center; reduce Harman



July 24, 2025 - Yakima City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 2
 Center; eliminate Legal Department front staff; eliminate two YPD crime analysts;
 eliminate crime free rental housing; reduce Code Enforcement officers; reduce
 Lions Pool; facilities specialist position; economic development assistant position;
 AWC membership; corrections administration specialist position; fire electronics
 technician position.
 3.B Resolution authorizing the submission of a ballot proposition for a property tax
 levy lid lift
 Director of Finance and Budget Craig Warner briefed the Council on a proposed
 resolution which would authorize a ballot measure to be added to the November
 general election.
 The City Clerk read the resolution by title only.

 MOTION: Glenn moved and Deccio seconded to accept the $6 million levy
 resolution. The motion carried by a 4-3 roll call vote; with Berg, Brown, and Roy
 voting no.
 RESOLUTION NO. R-2025-109, A RESOLUTION providing for the submission
 to the qualified electors of the City of Yakima at an election to be held on
 November 4, 2025, of a proposition authorizing the City to lift the levy limit
 established in RCW 84.55.010 in order to provide funds to pay costs of City
 operations and services, including public safety, parks and recreation, streets,
 and related services, and providing for severability and an effective date.

 Mayor Byers invited interested members of the public to apply to be appointed to
 the “for” and “against” committees. The committees will be tasked with preparing
 statements to be included in the Voter’s Pamphlet for the November general
 election.

4) Adjournment

 MOTION: Brown moved and Herrera seconded to adjourn to the next City Council
 regular meeting on Monday August 4, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council
 Chambers. The motion carried by unanimous vote. The meeting adjourned at 6:19 p.m.


CERTIFICATION
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ATTEST:

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 CITY CLERK MAYOR


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