The Yakima City Council is trying to fill a substantial budget gap.
Possibly on the chopping block are public services like snow clearing in the winter, graffiti cleanup and emergency response.
According to a March statement from the city, Yakima City Manager Vicki Baker said that by 2026, Yakima will bring in about $9 million less in tax revenue than it will cost to provide basic services. Washington state law requires cities to pass a balanced budget, meaning council members have to determine whether to make cuts, bring in more revenue or a mix of both to fill the hole.
“If the cuts were fully implemented, we wanted to make sure that the public was fully informed and understood ramifications, because really, the community would have to lower its expectations,” Yakima City Manager Vicki Baker said during a July 1 city council meeting. “The city would not be able to do what we’ve always done with these reductions.”
The city’s fire department was asked to show what would happen if its budget was reduced by 10%, which equates to about $1.7 million.
If that were to happen, the department would have to lay off 12 firefighters, which would result in the closure of Station 92, which is located in the western part of the city.
“ So, is it my recommendation to close a fire station? Absolutely not. I mean, what we should be looking at is where we should be building the next fire station,” Chief Aaron Markham told the city council at the July 1 meeting.
Peter Rasmussen, who has been a firefighter in Yakima for 11 years, said the Yakima Fire Department hasn’t added a station in over two decades. He said he’s seen the city continue to grow during his time here.
Currently, staffing levels for the department are lower than the national recommended standard of four personnel per engine. The department already staffs three people to an engine.
The department's daily staffing model doesn’t account for any firefighters who might have to miss work, which means the department pays out a lot of overtime to fill vacancies.
“(The staffing) doesn't cover anything for when somebody calls in sick or if they're injured,” Markham told the council. “ On average, we have about two firefighters per shift that are out injured for significant amount of time.”
The department’s budget for overtime to accommodate that is $1.6 million, according to the chief.
The possible closure of Station 92 could result in slower response times around the whole city.
“ People call us when there's an emergency, and they want us right now,” Rasmussen said.
Station 92 has the lowest call volume in the city, which is why Rasmussen said if the department has to close a station, it would be that one.
But Rasmussen said that with the lower call volume, it's crucial that crews are in that area to respond. That’s because ambulances are often occupied by calls in busier areas further away.
Instead of making cuts, Rasmussen says he would like to see the city run a levy to increase funding for the department.
“ I would like them at least to put that to the people, to let the citizens decide,” Rasmussen said. “ I don't agree with the city council making that decision for the whole city.”
After debate at the city council meeting on July 1, council members directed staff to create a resolution for them to consider putting a levy on the November 2025 ballot.
The levy would increase property tax by $0.50 cents per $1,000 and would bring in about $6 million in revenue.
The council is holding a special meeting on July 22 to discuss the budget.
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