Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Tumwater City Council embarked on an initial review of funding requests from the police and fire departments, as the governing body moved toward reconciling a spending plan for 2026-27.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the city council held the first out of four workshops to review the 2026-27 budget. The meeting centered on the general fund budget with an eye on new expenses for the two departments.
Finance Director Troy Niemeyer said staff started preparations on the budget in April when staff requested department directors submit baseline budgets alongside enhancement requests.
City administration ended up turning down the vast majority of the $25 million in budget enhancement requests.
The departments were also asked to identify possible reductions in baseline costs, which resulted in savings of $2.4 million.
Niemeyer acknowledged the difficulty of asking the departments to reduce their funding requests.
“Not only are we not able to provide their enhancements, but we're also asking them to reduce some of their base budget of what they have,” he said. “That was the hardest part for me, but at the end of the day, we have to have a balanced budget.”
City administration has so far approved $1,650,122 in enhancement requests from the Tumwater Fire Department.
The largest line item is $890,481 for four new firefighters, two in 2027 and two more in 2028. Niemeyer said hiring more firefighters would reduce costly overtime pay driven by staff who cover for colleagues on injury or parental leave.
Another expense is $419,289 for a new paramedic training lieutenant, though Thurston County Medic One would reimburse around 80 percent of the cost.
Other approved requests from the fire department include the following:
For the Tumwater Police Department, the city administration has so far approved $718,338.
Personnel costs were also the top ask for the department, which requested $291,371 for a community resource officer in 2028, and $128,310 for a community engagement specialist in 2028 as well.
City administration also approved the following requests for the police department:
Niemeyer also noted $11.3 million in enhancement requests from the Tumwater Community Development Department for the ongoing habitat conservation plan.
The request would cover land purchases, professional services, and staffing costs. The costs are largely offset by $11.1 million in matching revenues.
The proposed general fund budget includes $128.5 million in expenses and projected revenues of $123.1 million, which results in a negative balance of $5.4 million.
To bridge the funding gap, money would have to be taken from the city's reserves.
“I do not feel comfortable passing a budget that has salaries coming out of a fund balance. It's not sustainable,” said Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff.
Dahlhoff emphasized the administration met with staff six times to adjust the budget without laying off people and asked council for support as they seek new revenue sources.
Niemeyer said staff identified around $9.9 million in potential new revenues and funding partnerships.
A breakdown of the new revenues was not provided, but it included partnerships relating to the city’s habitat conservation plan.
The new sources also factor in fire impacts fees and a new public safety sales tax, which would need to be approved by the council.
Fire impact fees are charged on new construction to offset the cost of expanding fire protection services, as a result of the increased demand brought by new development.
Niemeyer said the city is currently conducting a study to evaluate the reinstitution of fire impact fees to pay debt needed for the remodeling of the North End Fire Station and to plan for a third fire station.
For the public safety sales tax, Dahlhoff said there will be more information soon about the tax, as staff are still clarifying the rates with the Association of Washington Cities.
The council will meet again for three more sessions on the budget and hold public hearings before considering the spending plan for adoption between late November and early December.
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OlyBlues
The spending spree continues as the city of Tumwater! A new communing engagement specialist for the police department for $128K a year? A new community services officer for $291K a year? These are really "needs" for the department to function after their massive raises Mayor Dahlhoff just approved? This in addition to promoting the city's communications manager to director who supervises himself for an additional $50K/year and a new Arts coordinator at the parks department making six figures with benefits? Yep, all must haves for the city to function. In actuality, this is government waste, excess, and overspending. Now they are maxing out bonds and stretching the city's finances to the brink to the point they need to ask for new taxes. These are signs the city needs to reign in it's spending immediately. What a shame to see the city heading down this clearly avoidable path. Mayor Dahlhoff knows better but has no true fiscal restraint or she would not be allowing this.
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