City Council Meeting - Oct 20, 2026

The City of Liberty Lake City Council’s regular meeting was held October 20, 2026. The mayor presented the proposed 2027 budget, noting a 1% property-tax increase projected to generate about $32,000 from existing properties, plus an estimated $105,000 from new construction. Salaries, wages, and benefits are projected to rise by about 10.65% ($1.3 million). The presentation identified reductions including $145,000 in IT services associated with bringing IT in-house, and urged review of discretionary projects, equipment purchases, and other allocations. No budget adoption or spending decision on those proposals occurred. Staff also reported a six-year capital funding gap: about $45 million in projects compared with $16.6 million in projected resources, leaving roughly $28 million unfunded. Potential financing and other revenue sources were discussed, but council made no financing decision. For sidewalks, council members generally favored further development of a city-led maintenance program and asked staff to analyze funding options; no program or funding mechanism was adopted.

The council approved Home for the Holidays sponsorships from ICCU ($1,300) and Popular Companions ($1,000), each by a 6–0 vote; an STCU sponsorship of $1,000 was also discussed, though its vote is not clear in the transcript. In the city hall renovation discussion, staff said additional design services—including furniture selection and exterior signage—would be accommodated by reallocating existing consultant budgets without increasing the project’s overall budget. The council also discussed Ordinance 318, which would adopt a new city logo, but the transcript does not capture an adoption vote. Staff reported that the 2025 state audit will examine, among other areas, procurement.