Mattawa council approves 2025 budget

MATTAWA — The city of Mattawa is projected to spend about $6.8 million in 2025 for city operations. The city will be required to use some reserve funds next year, which prompted council member Tony Acosta to vote against passage of the budget at the Dec. 19 council meeting. 

There was no discussion prior to the council vote.  

The city is projected to spend just less than $2 million from its general fund for 2025. The general fund includes most city operations, including at least part of the wages and benefits for most city workers, along with operations including city hall staff and Mattawa Police Department officers. General fund revenues for 2025 are projected at about $1.6 million.  

The city will be required to use about $390,000 of its reserves to make up the shortfall, something Acosta expressed concern about at earlier meetings.  

“But our general fund is negative in terms of what we’re expected to bring in for 2025 and what we’re spending. And most of our other accounts are not doing very good as well,” Acosta said Nov. 7.  

“We’ve been very lucky – or unfortunate – because our general fund has stayed afloat because we haven’t filled some positions. We’ve had gaps, so some of that money comes back (to the general fund). But if we spend what we say we’re going to spend, we’re going to lose our cushion really quick,” he added. 

Acosta expressed similar concerns during a November budget workshop. The city could end up running a deficit if current spending patterns continue, he said.  

Council member Brian Berghout said during the Nov. 7 council meeting that one way to better the city’s financial position was, and is, to increase revenue, a position he reiterated at the budget workshop. 

The city’s street fund projected expenses and revenues of about $1.4 million. Among the projects for 2025 is work on city streets, paid for with a $1.3 million Transportation Improvement Board. The 2025 street work schedule will be announced.  

Operating the city’s water system is projected to cost about $900,500. Projects are planned for Mattawa in 2025, Ledezma said, paid through a mix of federal and state grants and low-interest loans. Those include the continuing rehabilitation of Well 2, the city’s oldest, and the construction of a new well. 

Sewer system operation is projected to cost about $956,400, slightly less than projected revenues of $958,700. Upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment facility are projected to continue in 2025, along with some system repairs. Money for those projects will come from a mix of grants and loans. 

Garbage system operation revenues and expenses are projected at $431,700.  

The city has a separate fund for the purchase of police vehicles, which is projected to cost about $39,200, slightly less than anticipated revenues in that fund. 

There are small amounts of revenue projected for some funds, the water and sewer emergency funds being examples, but no expenditures are forecasted from those funds.