Budget

Cities, counties, and certain special purpose districts in Washington State are required to adopt budgets on an annual or, in some cases, biennial (two-year) basis. These budgets not only provide legal authority to expend funds for various purposes, but they also reflect the legislative body's priorities and the organization's goals.

White Salmon's fiscal year runs from January 1 to December 31, unlike the State of Washington's fiscal period which runs from July 1 to June 30. Budget season begins in the summer, with a council retreat that helps inform the Mayor's recommendations of how funds should be allocated to achieve the council's strategic aims. The budget must be adopted no later than December 31.

How Property Tax Helps Fund the City

The Washington State Constitution limits the annual rate of property taxes that may be imposed on an individual parcel of property to 1% of its true and fair value. Since tax rates are stated in terms of dollars per $1,000 of value, the 1% limit is the same as $10 per $1,000 and is often referred to as the $10 limit. Taxes imposed under this limit are termed "regular" levies, while those outside the limit are "excess" or "special" levies.

2023 Planned Expenditures

Aside from funding the standard operations and maintenance for the city, council authorizes funds to support projects across all departments. This chart gives an overview of key projects and allocated costs that are accounted for in 2023 to support council priorities.