Budget talks highlight the unseen work behind life in a lake community

CHELAN — As the City Council moves toward final adoption of its 2026 budget, members spent their Nov. 25 meeting working through one of the most persistent challenges facing a lake town: Balancing long-term staffing and service needs against the realities of fluctuating revenue tied to tourism.

Several councilmembers raised concerns that staffing levels have grown faster than Chelan’s year-round population. Councilmember Terry Sanders said the city needed to “pause and really look at where we can be efficient with what we have,” and Councilmember Jon Higgins added that once the city brings on a new employee, “it’s really, really hard to reduce, and we don’t want to do that to people.”

But the figure that shows long-term population growth versus city spending growth only tells part of the story in a community where summer visitation, second homes, seasonal utility loads, and lake-based recreation put significant pressure on city services.

Mayor Erin McCardle reminded the council that census numbers reflect only permanent residents. “That eleven-percent population number is our year-round residents,” she said. “It doesn’t include the support we provide to the lake, the airport, second-home owners, or the six-hundred-thousand visitors the city sees every year.”

That framing carried directly into council’s discussion of two Public Works positions that staff describe as long-term cost savers.

Public Works Director Jake Youngren walked the council through the financial case for adding an in-house construction inspector, explaining that consultant project management routinely costs the city more than fifteen percent of a project’s value. With decades of water and sewer upgrades ahead — many sized to handle peak summer demand — Youngren said bringing inspection and oversight in-house could save an estimated two hundred thousand dollars annually. “This is one hundred percent a cost-savings effort,” he said. The position would be funded through utility enterprise revenues, which are more stable than tourism-linked income.

A second proposal, an entry-level lubrication technician, is tied to the restructuring of the city’s fleet maintenance program. Parks Director Audrey Cooper said Parks vehicles, which are heavily used through the summer season, haven’t always received timely service because staff time is split among the RV park, marina, and daily parks work. “The team is skilled, but their time is divided,” she said. “When vehicle maintenance falls behind, it shortens the life of the equipment.”

Youngren said the new technician would handle basic maintenance, allowing the city’s two mechanics to focus on more complex repairs. The goal, he said, is to prevent costly breakdowns that stem from deferred maintenance. Costs would be shared proportionally across departments.

Several councilmembers acknowledged the potential for savings but remained cautious about adding permanent positions in a year where tourism revenue appears to be softening. Councilmember Brad Chitty said he worries “we have too many moving parts” in the city’s financial outlook and wants to avoid unexpected long-term commitments.

Other increases in the budget reflect obligations the city cannot avoid. City Attorney Quentin Batjer briefed the council on new Washington Supreme Court standards that steadily reduce public defender caseloads through 2036. Weighted case standards were eliminated, meaning simple misdemeanors (which take less time to defend) now count the same as more complex matters. Once contracted defenders hit their caps, the city must pay overflow attorneys. “It’s unclear where the costs land,” Batjer said, “but they will be higher, and cities must comply.”

Similar statewide pressures are influencing land-use administration. Longtime hearing examiner Andy Kottkamp is preparing to scale back, and the city plans to add examiner Jay Eyestone as a pro tem to ensure continuous coverage for hearings. Community Development Director John Ajax said hearing examiners are in short supply across Washington, and reliable access to one is essential for Chelan’s workflow. Most associated costs are paid by applicants.

Finance Director Heidi Evans reminded the council that each proposed staffing addition was required to show offsetting savings. She added that although overall staffing costs increased this year, wages and benefits rose just 3.8 percent once one-time transitions were removed. The city’s earlier addition of an in-house construction manager has already reduced consultant spending, she said, and the inspector position is intended to further that trend.

“This isn’t about adding without thinking,” McCardle said. “Every position was asked to show where it saves money or fills an obligation we legally have to meet.”

The meeting also included a moment of introduction for newly sworn-in Councilmember Agustin Benegas, who took his seat for the first time after an early-evening oath of office for Position 2. Benegas fully participated in the budget debate, and during council reports at the end of the meeting, he reintroduced himself for the community’s benefit, noting that he works at Lake Chelan Health. Many readers may recognize him from his work there or through local civic and volunteer activities. He thanked the council and staff for their welcome and said he looked forward to serving the community.

Residents can review the full proposal on Chelan’s ClearGov portal and are encouraged to follow the discussions ahead of the final vote.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media