CASHMERE — The Cashmere City Council began initial steps in its annual budgeting process during its Oct. 14 meeting, reviewing revenue sources and discussing potential impact fees for new developments.
Mayor Jim Fletcher presented council members with itemized lists of the city’s revenue sources, showing trends from 2023 through estimated 2025 revenues. Fletcher explained that property, sales, and utility taxes are the primary revenue sources for city operations, noting that the sales tax trend has flattened out and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has decreased to less than 2.5%.
The council engaged in a lengthy discussion about implementing impact fees for new developments, a topic added to the agenda at the request of Council member Jeff Johnson. Johnson expressed safety concerns about Rank Road due to increased housing development and suggested that developers should be charged fees to improve roadways impacted by new construction…