Bellevue City Council Meeting - October 13,2026

Bellevue City Council meeting, October 13, 2026 (meeting timestamped October 14 UTC). The council reviewed preliminary 2027–28 budget proposals, including utility capital renewal and replacement, a proposed 8.5% rate increase in 2027 and 8.6% in 2028, and expanded utility-bill assistance for eligible households. Staff also described planned investments in parks and open-space planning, small-business support, public-space activation, and technology modernization. The city said procurement for a new customer relationship management platform is active; no vendor selection or contract award was reported. Fire-station 5 and 6 planning and land acquisition were discussed, with $200,000 in the proposed budget for fire operational master planning. Public commenters raised concerns about transportation project priorities and the Grand Connection crossing, including a cited $13.9 million transportation-budget allocation; these were comments, not procurement approvals.

The council adopted Ordinance 6941, assuming the powers of the Transportation Benefit District, by a 6–1 vote; this action did not itself approve a tax increase. It also adopted Ordinance 6942 to claim locally the city-generated share of King County’s children-and-family-services sales tax, which takes effect countywide in 2027; the council did not decide how the proceeds would be allocated. A proposed amendment to the state legislative agenda on energy policy failed. Staff were asked to return with revised language concerning the city’s relationship to the Association of Washington Cities’ agenda, and a council member requested a future funding-framework presentation for the sales-tax proceeds.