City of Anacortes - City Council Meeting (11/2/26)

The City of Anacortes City Council’s November 2, 2026 meeting included its first review of the proposed 2027 budget; no budget adoption vote occurred. The council approved Resolution 3236, amending Contract 26033 with the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce so remaining previously awarded 2026 lodging-tax funds could support Coastal Christmas, with no increase to the original award. Budget discussions covered a proposed $1.815 million lodging-tax contribution toward the Port event facility and $500,000 for breakwater repair, as well as a planned fire-engine replacement funded through the equipment replacement fund and a $600,000 fireboat item in the Fire Department’s proposed capital plan. Public Works reported that the South Commercial plan is approved but still needs funding, and that one grant application for the project was unsuccessful.

Departments also reviewed purchasing and operating-cost changes: Parks reported approximately $14,000 in savings from renewing its portable-toilet contract through a state bid; IT described savings from consolidating Microsoft licensing and moving phone service to Microsoft Teams; and Fiber proposed bringing customer-call support in-house rather than spending about $180,000 on outsourced network operations, alongside proposed server and network-extension purchases. The Fire Department reported a negotiated Motorola software upgrade to bring existing radios into P25 compliance. Police discussed replacing a drug-identification scanner, initially quoted at $45,000, while seeking less expensive options. Other budget items included a proposed $120,000 for outside legal counsel, a potential 50% increase in permit fees and recovery of permitting-software costs from applicants, and a library plan to discontinue passport services. Council members called for further review of fire overtime and staffing needs; the 2027 budget remains under review. Countywide discussions also raised a common grant application, coordinated funding calendars, and greater transparency for applicants and the public.