City Council Study Session | October 29, 2026

The City of Redmond held a special City Council study session on October 29, 2026, for the third round of deliberations on the preliminary 2027–2028 biennial budget. Council supported including the proposed Development Services reorganization in the budget, with written commitments for regular performance reporting, risk tracking, and council updates. The preliminary budget’s $250 million Maintenance and Operations Center (MOC) rebuild amount was retained rather than raised to $268.5 million while staff refine the funding allocation; staff said the project would continue and return with a budget update. Council also supported a one-time $120,000 biennial allocation for a Derby Days community bike ride, a $30,000 biennial Council Community Needs and Sponsorships Fund, and $100,000 in the capital improvement program for play infrastructure pilots. Council supported a limited-duration Human Services FTE to administer child and family services funding, with distribution details to return for further discussion. The City’s use of the HB 2442 revenue and an RFP process were discussed; the council also requested follow-up information on the proposed, Bellevue-reimbursed tourism administration position, leaving that item open.

The council did not support adding the proposed Granicus managed video service to the budget; the proposal included a $200,000 startup cost and about $100,000 annually, with accessibility, reliability, and staffing benefits weighed against cost. For tenant protections, council expressed general support for a principal planner position—an estimated $40,000 increase over the proposed classification—and asked staff to return with draft budget proviso language for the next deliberation; additional ELAP funding was deferred. These were budget deliberations, not final adoption of the biennial budget.