Will you chip in to support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation today? Yes, I want to support My Edmonds News!
Key takeaways:
- Council approves utility tax increase that adds $26 to average bimonthly bill
- Public hearing for long-term revenue ideas set for Dec. 16
- Edmonds’ third-quarter finances on track
- North Bowl Hub final plan removes parcels south of Puget Drive
- Right-of-way code updates are finalized and approved
Facing a final budget deadline just 29 days away, the Edmonds City Council narrowly approved a temporary doubling of the utility tax — from 10% to 20% — Tuesday night that will generate $3.2 million for 2026.
The average $285.42 bi-monthly bill will increase $26 to $311.40. The new 20% total tax is on water, sewer and stormwater – all city-managed utilities. Solid waste was not included. The temporary bump ends July 1, 2027.
Council President Niel Tibbott made the case for the tax to fellow councilmembers.
“It allows the city to stabilize our short-term funding gaps… Cash flow is significantly strained between January to March and then goes up again [when property tax receipts come in],” he said.
In 2023 Edmonds used reserves to address the deficit. In 2024 Edmonds used federal grants to address the shortfall. In 2025, the Council approved a $6 million interfund load to address the deficit, Tibbott explained.
“There are no other stop-gap options in 2026,” Tibbott said.
Councilmembers Chris Eck and Susan Paine agreed long-term planning is needed and this is a temporary fix to address the first-quarter cash flow problem.
“This gives us some time to put together some revenue strategies that take more than a few months to put together,” Paine said.
Councilmember Will Chen disagreed, saying the utility tax increase continues the City’s trend of using a temporary fix to address a structural problem.
Councilmember Olson was also opposed. “We’ve had this quality of life we can’t afford and until we have a quality of life that is less good and people want to pay to have that better quality of life again… I just don’t think I can vote for another Band-Aid again.”
“I’m trying to understand where this money would go. Expenses? Replenish the reserves?” asked Councilmember Michelle Dotsch, who also opposed the measure. Tibbott said the utility tax specifically addresses the cash flow problem. Dotsch voted no.
Councilmember Jenna Nand encouraged residents to reach out for help if they need assistance paying their utility bill. Several state and local programs help low-income residents, including the Olympic View Water and Sewer District, she said.
“Let us know if you need help navigating these. Do it early because these programs are not always available,” she said.
The increase goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
What’s next
The Council will move quickly to start the listening process for long-term revenue solutions, which includes a possible levy sometime in 2026. Tibbott asked City Attorney Jeff Taraday to draft a resolution for a levy in 2026. The draft resolution will come to the Council for discussion Dec. 9.
A public hearing on the levy is scheduled for Dec. 16. The questions to be addressed are “Do we need to do a levy? [If yes] When do we do a levy? And how much?” Tibbott said.
Quarterly financial update
The third-quarter financial update shows the City’s slow but consistent process to reduce spending through cuts is on track, Finance Director Richard Gould said.
Gould told the council that some labor costs are up 5%, including for the council, mayor and some departments like human resources, administration and facilities.
“90% of that is due to payouts from layoffs and retirements,” Gould said, noting that these were longtime employees. As those payouts are completed, the realized benefit of cuts becomes more visible on the balance sheet. “That number is getting closer and closer,” he said.
“Overall the general fund is healthy in that area for expenditures and revenues,” Gould said.
For the year, labor is down 7% due to 24 funded but unfilled positions.
Councilmembers praised the work of departments to cut spending.
“I want to point out that last year was the year we cut $8 million from the budget and some of those positions were positions we chose not to fill. Staff has been doing a tremendous job,” Eck said.
“It hasn’t been easy for city staff. So, again, the proof is in the numbers.” Nand said.
“About a month ago, we had $72 million in the investment pool and now we are up to almost $85 million. That’s gonna help us in January, February and March of next year,” Chen said.
On the positive side, sales tax is slightly up from 2024. The real estate excise tax is up 14%.
North Bowl Hub change finalized
The North Bowl Hub housing code revision wrapped up with the Council voting 4-3 to remove six parcels on SR 542 south of Puget Drive from the hub designation, which allows multi-family housing. In voting to approve the removal, Councilmembers Olson, Tibbott, Dotsch and Chen agreed with safety concerns identified by North Bowl residents. In opposing the change, Councilmembers Eck, Paine and Nand stressed support for multi-family housing.
North Bowl Hub residents worked with the Planning Board and Senior Planner Brad Shipley for nearly a year to get these parcels and Grandview Street, a dead-end, removed from the designation that would allow multi-family housing units in the area.
Resident Marty Ronish said the revised zoning – which includes a mixture of schools, apartments and riparian buffer] – is now a model of what these hubs should be, “perfectly proportioned as a hub.”
ECDC Title 18 and Chapter 20.110 Code Amendments
This community development code revision was a year in the making and focuses primarily on right-of-way rules for property owners and utilities. Right-of-way includes the streets and alleys and, sometimes, property the City controls.
“We [the City] are the neighbor to every property in the city,” said new Public Works Director Andy Rheaume. “What happens in that right of way is extremely important to every resident.”
The Council unanimously approved all three amendments to the code.
The revised code establishes coherent and clear standards for right of way, processes and procedures for addressing utility work and encroachment, and related enforcement and proportional remedies.
Lastly….
Jeanie McConnell, the City’s engineering and program manager, is moving to Arizona after 31 years with the City of Edmonds. Councilmembers thanked her for dedicating a lifetime of service to Edmonds.
Vivian Liao, the new student council representative, experienced her first day on the dais. She said she will develop an Instagram account that tracks council actions to help young people understand what is happening in their city. “If our communications person were here, she’d hug you,” said Mayor Mike Rosen
Councilmember Nand took a moment to thank everyone for their well wishes after she shared her breast cancer diagnosis last week. “I’m still going through the emails. It is evidence to me what a kind, loving and supportive community this is,” she said.
Thank you to Will Chen, Michelle Dotsch and Vivian Olsen for opposing this tax increase. Shame on the rest of you for not listening to the overwhelming majority of Edmonds residents who voted against a tax increase. As far as another “listening process”? What makes you think that is going to fly with us when you didn’t listen very well in the first place. Kudos to Vivian for her listening session last month after the vote. She listened and did the right thing to vote against this band-aid approach to the city’s financial problems. And I stress the words ‘the city’. This is all on you for mismanaging the finances for long enough to get us into this mess.
“There are no other stop-gap options in 2026,” Tibbott said. An absolute lie. Options existed—real, tangible alternatives—but he refused to even entertain them. Instead of allowing the council to exercise true due diligence and discuss all options available, he rammed through a 100% utility tax increase with the mayor at his side, both marching to the beat of their own agenda. Nothing—not reason, not public opposition, not fiscal responsibility—was going to stand in their way.
Councilmember Chen attempted to introduce an alternative, a lifeline of rational debate, but was summarily cut off by the Mayor. That silencing speaks volumes: dissent wasn’t welcome, transparency wasn’t valued, and accountability was nowhere to be found.
The end of Council President Tibbott’s tenure cannot come soon enough. His “leadership” has been a recurring theme in Edmonds’ financial decline. Twice he has held the Council President position, and twice we’ve witnessed the erosion of openness, the steady retreat from transparency, and the deepening of mistrust between government and the people it claims to serve. But he’s not done. He’s bringing back another levy lid lift to be included in the 2026 budget.
What we are left with is not governance but dictate by agenda—an agenda that prioritizes expedience over honesty, and short-term fixes over long-term solutions. And it is precisely under Tibbott’s watch that this corrosive pattern has taken root.
Watching the video of the meeting after the fact was disturbing. The noticeable interactions between Tibbot and Rosen, especially directly prior and during CM Chen attempting to present an alternative, were telling.
Absolutely stunning. And at the same meeting they have the temerity to announce more ‘Listening Sessions’. The councilors voting for this folderol clearly are not listening.
What a scene! CPresident Tibbott presented the utility tax rate increase information from the floor and then made the motion for the increase from the dais (before CM Chen’s turn to speak). President Tibbott also conflated the budget and cash flow to push the increase. While acknowledging a perpetual cash flow issue in March (property tax payments arrive in April), this increase was deemed “necessary.”
CMs Olsen, Dotsch, and Chen all acknowledged this tax rate increase is repeating the same unsuccessful strategy used in the last 3 years. Three different ways of finding short term money in 2023, 2024, and 2025 that have lead to an unhealthy cycle. Interestingly, other council members who were on council during that time let this happen and have now voted for this overspending to continue!
During discussion CM Eck stated “we are looking at everything…every possible option…we have been looking at all of the options” regarding revenue. Although later, CM Chen wasn’t allowed to present putting monthly contributions to the internal service fund into the GF instead. And Jim Ogonowski’s alternate budget was ignored. Late in the discussion about raising the utility tax rate CM Paine said, “this is something that will be good for the community.”
In the lack of proper planning department…Tibbott stated the 2026 budget was premised on $6M in tax revenue.
“I want to point out that last year was the year we cut $8 million from the budget…” Eck said. Hogwash. The numbers tell a very different story:
2024 Adopted Budget: $58,633,369 ($52,633,369 + $6,000,000 in ARPA funds) ARPA money was used to cover the fire contract in 2024.
2025 Adopted Budget: $58,387,767 The entire fire contract was paid from the General Fund in 2025.
So where exactly is this supposed $8 million cut? The reality is a small $245,602 reduction—not the sweeping slash being claimed.
The inflated “cut” narrative comes from comparing against the initial 2025 budget request, which was padded with a staff wish list. In the corporate world, that’s called negotiating: you ask for more, knowing you’ll settle for less. But settling for less is not the same thing as cutting.
A true cut means reducing expenditures against an established baseline, typically the prior year’s adopted budget. What actually happened here was a reshuffling—money “cut” in one place only to be redirected elsewhere. That’s budgeting by priorities, and it should never be mischaracterized as an $8 million cut. The council simply prioritized certain projects over others and directed money accordingly—that’s their job. It should be a “needs” vs. “wants” discussion with the community.
And we wonder why we’re staring down a financial problem.
Along those same lines –
CM Chen pointed out that even with “$8M cut in 2025,” proposed expenditures in the 2026 budget are up from this year. He also questioned the increase of $480,000 in labor and benefits between the budget used at the workshop vs the information distributed last night at the meeting. The explanation was about “actual” expenditures. Shouldn’t the info at the city wide, all day, problem-solving workshop be provided accurate numbers?
And I’m interested to understand CPresident Tibbott’s claim that the city has gone through a 30% inflationary period. How and why would be the questions about that 30%!
Good riddance, Mr. Tibbott. Your legacy will be defined by manipulated research, misleading narratives, and untenable push for higher spending and more taxes. You manipulated Fitch research to drive unjustified RFA annexation, dismissed taxpayer opposition to a massive tax levy lift, and advocated for both despite legal prohibitions. You repeatedly presented only your side of the story, steering the Council according to personal agendas while ignoring the public’s stated priorities.
Despite 59% of voters rejecting higher taxes, you supported doubling the utility tax while overlooking nearly $85 million in city reserves and exaggerating cash-flow concerns. You falsely claimed that the City had already made “cuts to the bone,” including an alleged $8 million reduction since 2024. Despite the overwhelming defeat of Prop 1, you have continued pushing a levy lift for 2026, reinforcing a pattern of disrespecting taxpayers, overspending, tax increases, and misinformation.
MEN’s coverage of the Council meeting omits the recent petition signed by 154 residents calling for governance reforms, transparency, and accountability. Residents now hope Tibbott’s departure will open the door to good governance reform when Erika Barnett joins the Council in January. Desired actions include repealing the utility-tax ordinance, tabling any tax increase, forming a citizen financial advisory board, adopting a leaner 2026 budget, and pursuing Jim Ogonowski’s alternative budget. Please sign the petition and demand fiscally responsible, transparent governance: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/enough-utility-tax-increase-is-last-straw
The manner in which the utility tax increase was introduced and sanctioned resembled a farcical performance directed by council president Tibbetts. I found it quite humiliating for the city to have the student representative observe this clown show, as if it serves as a model of effective governance. I extend my gratitude to Will Chen, Michelle Dotsch, and Vivian Olsen for opposing this tax increase.
This is an excellent point about the poor example we are setting for our youth. Thank you for raising it.
The headline is wrong – it is not a 10% increase. It is a 100% increase.
Absolute lack of accountability to nearly 60% that voted NO just a few weeks ago. They just looked for another way to tax us without an option for us to stop it. Well-done our so-called representatives. So unfortunate we have people in leadership positions without much leadership quality. Leaders lead by bringing people together to solve problems. Leaders lead by not leaving any stones unturned to benefit their people. Ours find ways to repeatedly divide us and hurt us more. So, 100% utility tax increase this week + 1% property tax increase last week + RFA cost unloaded on us a few months ago (while they kept the money we were already paying) + more coming next year + + +. Is any of this rational, planful, citizen-focused, city management? Unbelievable that our councilmembers sit there and put a few words together to justify their decisions, thinking they convinced us that it is for our benefit. Shameful really.
Thanks. Someone else had pointed out it was a doubling of the tax and so we changed the headline to reflect that.
The Main Motion was not to double the tax. Following is the Council President Neil Tibbott’s Main Motion that the City Council voted on:
“I would like to make a motion that we adopt this ordinance that’s in our packet with the 10% increases in section F, section H, and section I.”
10% increases do not double a tax. A 100% increase is needed to double the tax.
Furthermore, there were no increases identified in the draft Ordinance in the City Council’s packet. There were four blank spaces highlighted in yellow. Edmonds City Council failed to fill in those four blank spaces. As a result of this failure, the four utility tax rates have not yet been expressly stated by the Edmonds City Council.
“There were four blank spaces highlighted in yellow. Edmonds City Council failed to fill in those four blank spaces.”
So they voted for a “blank check” for the utility tax rates which they can now set and pencil in later at their leisure ??? OR, is the whole vote is null and void because there were no rates entered at the time of the vote (ie the CC members truly are clueless about the legal process) ???
What Ken has said below is important enough to have it’s own article! This council meeting was four days ago, and although most (including the council) thought there was a doubling of utility tax rates; in fact legally nothing occurred.
An ordinance is a legal document. This one had blanks for the utility tax rates and the solid waste rate was crossed out, so those rates are now zero.
Our council, lead by Tibbott and then by Rosen, and advised by a highly paid city attorney have made a mess!
Thanks for the comments, Ann and Julia. I found out this morning that on Friday, December 5th, the City Administration claimed in the Daily Herald that on the 2nd day of December, 2025, the City Council of the City of Edmonds, passed ORDINANCE NO. 4415 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF EDMONDS, WASHINGTON, TEMPORARILY AMENDING SOME OF THE UTILITY TAX RATES IN ECC 3.20.050. Please excuse the all caps as I cut and pasted this from the Public Notice.
The Public Notice did not comply with State Law, RCW 35A.12.160, so now there is an additional situation that must be addressed.
When the public is finally allowed to see the full text of Ordinance No. 4415, we should be able to see what the City Administration is claiming the four utility tax rates are.
Sigh 🙁 Rosen, Tibbott, Eck, Nand, Paine – thank you for providing a lesson to our community – ‘how not to govern’. You wasted an opportunity to collaborate with the voters, restore trust and build a budget based in transparency.
Make no mistake, we all support our civil servants & want great city services, but financially it’s been a tough several years for a significant portion of households. Edmonds is in desperate need of leadership that can strike a balance.
I’m apprehensive with Katie Wilson’s (SEA) & Zohran Mamdani’s (NYC) wins, but also hopeful. These young leaders have one thing in common, an incredible willingness to listen to conflicting viewpoints, to govern for all (hope they stay grounded).
Edmonds is in need of a political makeover. Meanwhile, let’s give Neil Tibbott a round of applause, send him our best wishes in ‘retirement’. I pray he finds a satisfying hobby outside of politics, maybe woodworking (happy to lend some tools).
A doubling is actually a 100% increase as Mr. Masters points out. Who else could get away with this? Certainly not landlords who are subject to a 9.7% increase as passed by the legislature this year. How does the majority of the City Council justify an increase that would be illegal if imposed by private landlords? This impacts housing affordability just as much.
On top of that, this is a 100% increase on the tax for the service THEY provide (which is way over priced because of the failed sewer treatment plant). So on top of the sewer/water bill going crazy high in the last few years, now the tax of that will double. I never thought I’d have to budget $200 or $300 per month for a routine water/sewer bill (even more in the summer when we actually use more water).
The Prop 1 vote demonstrated to me that when the citizens really get engaged most of us really care about how our dollars are spent no matter how else we differ politically. The only way to resolve Edmonds’ spending problem is for us to pay attention to what the council and mayor are doing and speak up. Even more importantly, pay attention to how they are they are spending our money, and if they are not doing it wisely, vote them out.
I find it very telling that the council’s solution for low income residents is to apply for financial aid rather than working to provide an affordable city for them to live in.
Exactly what you said, Jean. The mayor and the council members who adhere to his will, after hearing expert after expert on creative ways to very easily make more money available for city expenses (with NO raises via any tax), refuse to listen or take action. I’m wondering what their real agenda is.
Good government shouldn’t raise the cost of living and then tell the most vulnerable to seek assistance to cope with the increases it created. If a city keeps hiking taxes and fees, then turns around and tells low-income folks to ‘just apply for assistance,’ that’s not good governance — that’s a Band-Aid over a wound they created. Real leadership doesn’t make life more expensive and then brag about having programs to help people survive the expenses they caused. Support programs exist for true hardship, not as a substitute for responsible budgeting. Edmonds deserves leadership that manages resources wisely so people can afford to stay in the community they live in.
Ms. Krull I agree with you. In the crusade for money, city leadership, council, etc. appear to value residents, seniors, low income and most vulnerable as collateral damage.
Thank you for this excellent explanation – really appreciate your clarity. Hope you will run again.
Separate from the other issues identified by commenters, I’m glad to see this tax increase has a sunset clause. This requires the mayor and council to make the case once again if they want to continue the tax increase. Which in turn, provides supporters and opponents evaluate how the revenue from the tax increase was really used. I think all tax increases should have a sunset clause. I think it forces the government to be more accountable and transparent.
Larry-
sorry I disagree. The only thing that will force the government to be more accountable and transparent is to change the current Council majority and implement good governance reform. Good governance has been sadly absent for the last 4-5 years in the Mayor’ offices and the majority of Council members. With Erika Barnett replacing CP Tibbott on Jan 1st – there is an opportunity for true good governance reform to happen overnight – since Erika ran on a platform of governance reform that included fiscal discipline, accountability, transparency, common sense, performance-based results-oriented management, and putting taxpayers first. Hopefully she will be able to change the Council majority to embrace reform. If that happens, taxpayers can see light at the end of the tunnel and the Council could repeal the utility tax ordinance, and delay any discussion of tax levy lifts until after a Citizens’ Financial Advisory Committee is established and has done a thorough review and rewrite of the 2026 budget. This is the only path forward that will prevent the rubber stamping of a utility tax extension after 18 months. Please add your name to the 158 petitioners who have signed the ‘last straw’ Petition to demand change and reform by the Mayor and Council: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/enough-utility-tax-increase-is-last-straw
When you try to run a city with mayors who are city management as a “hobby” types who need to get their egos stroked daily and their double and triple dipper retirement funds well padded; what do you expect? When you try to run a city with part time “hobby” city council people who have highly demanding full-time jobs in most cases, what do you expect? When you elect a bunch of people to council who receive funding from and owe allegiance to a dominant state political party and public service Unions like IAFF; what do you expect? With the municipal government design you have going and most of the people you keep electing and re-electing for some reason; there is no improvement coming in cost of living there for the average Edmonds citizen owning property or renting an overpriced apartment type dwelling. I’ve discovered it is much less expensive to visit “Disneyland” than it was to actually live there and “own” part of it.
I just watched the meeting replay and found it deflating. Rosen shutting Chen down was the low point. Tibbot speaking to steps already being taken to propose another levy lid lift for early next year spoke volumes. I guess the 59% no vote just a month ago means nothing to elected leadership. Hard to watch the circling of the wagons by our leadership and council to continue to dismiss any alternative options other than finding the last legal opportunity of raising taxes without voter approval. We deserve better.
Time to start organizing a group to expose why a levy lift is not necessary.
Hi Mr Goodman, I ran the campaign to defeat the levy lid lift in November. And I’m interested in your comment “organize a group to expose why a levy lid lift is not necessary”. Did you know that City Council passed an update to their rules recently so that community groups could not make a presentation to them at their meetings? So that leave us the only option of an organized opposition campaign during the election. Don’t worry – these levy lid lift measures usually fail.
Looks like the council meeting was a success. Folks are paying attention to what their city government is struggling with. Is Rosen delivering what he promised? He ran as a collaborator, I’m not seeing evidence.
I just can’t seem to understand this budget situation. Just to keep it simple, if you have $100 to pay for certain items but those items amount to $120, you would have to make concessions. You need to skip an item. Period.
I have on a retirement budget at my house and if expenses exceed the allocation, something(s) will get reduced. I am not going to go into debit to survive. My income is not going to increase based on my need.
The city needs to operate within their budget. This has been going on since 2023 and nobody wants to make the tough decision and make the appropriate cuts. Sound like cuts have been made, but not enough.
Thank you to those counsel members that voted against this tax increase and I hope everybody will remember the others when election day comes again.
Quit voting for increases and come put your election sign in my yard. If you can’t help to live within the cities means, look for a position elsewhere.
This is not an acceptable way to govern, did you not read the room during the vote on Prop 1?
Our utility bill is already like a car payment (last bill $430. one before that $410.), so the average of $286.must be for a condo with no yard, luckily it is winter so the bill usually trends down a bit this time of year.
Add the new tax rate for fire protection and that means our spending on retail in Edmonds will be cut by about $150. a month, we operate on a budget, we do not have a tax payer money machine we fire up to pay our bills when we do not budget properly, we make cuts in expenditures.
I will quote the previous letter.
“Thank you to those counsel members that voted against this tax increase and I hope everybody will remember the others when election day comes again.”
My utility bill was $500. Tax on utilities to pay for the city budget is just a dumb idea. A tax on utilities should go to pay for costs associated with delivering and use of utilities. They do it because they can get away with it. Looks like we need to turnover our city leaders a little more next election. I’ll be paying attention to what council members, and the mayor, are not working on to reduce or mitigate city expenses through alternative sources or systems. Rosen prided himself on being from private business, he needs to deliver on what he learned from being successful in the business world.
Tibbott’s erroneous influence and enmeshment with the “Mike Mayors” can’t end soon enough. Remember how he and the previous Mike Mayor wasted time and money promoting the Landmark 99 speculation!
When Tibbott was on the CC before he ran for Mayor he actually colluded with Mayor Earling with both of them sending a signed letter to a state regulatory agency stating that they disagreed with the Council’s majority vote to make the Harbor Point set backs larger than THEY felt was necessary. (Why would THEY do this except for the purpose of encouraging more development that encroaches on a critical environmental area of town?) This was an unprofessional and unethical attempt to subvert legislation and CM Johnson, also running for Mayor at the time, called him out on it during debate and made him apologize. So, this sort of inappropriate behavior attempting to control or manipulate majority legislation started well before the “two Mikes” era in Edmonds. Everyone seems to want to put all the blame on “the two Mikes” for where you are at now, but the problems started years before “the two Mikes” ever came on the scene. You need true non-parisan, non-special interest oriented and competent professional city management. People who know how to negotiate with public employee unions and things cities should generally avoid, like untested technology for vital services. Until you get that, Edmonds government finance will be a disaster as just too many people are after a piece of the “Edmonds Goodness” pie.
We can expect another run at a levy this coming spring. Not as large, but still significant, same scare tactics why it needs to pass. Time to start thinking and asking questions of the mayor and council.
William
With all due respect, it’s long past time to be ‘thinking’ about asking questions. Since the tax levy lift was placed on the ballot, taxpayers have collectively asked over 50 questions about the budget, the overspending, the over taxing, the over staffing, the excess costs of police and fire protection, the illegal acts of paying an outside PR firm to develop marketing materials and mailers to advocate for RFA annexation, the illegal acts of not allowing taxpayers equal opportunity to voice opposition to the tax levy lift, the outrageous act of passing an incomplete and illegal ordinance to double the utility tax, and the lack of good governance principles (fiscal discipline, transparency, accountability, performance-based/results oriented management, common sense, and putting taxpayers first) – and we have been stonewalled and disrespected – and subjected to fear mongering PR that threatens to cut essential services if we don’t ante up with more taxes. A super majority of 59% of voters rejected Prop 1. 175 taxpayers have signed an online ‘last straw’ petition to demand reform. Please join them and ask your friends to sign also: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/enough-utility-tax-increase-is-last-straw
A parody
In the charming village of Evergreen Shores, the Council of Wise Spenders faced a terrifying countdown: only 29 days until the Budget Monster ate the town alive.
On Tuesday, by a heroic 5-4 vote, they bravely doubled the “Breathing Fee” on water, sewer, and raindrops, from 10% to a festive 20%. This heroic act will squeeze an extra $3.2 million out of residents in 2026.Good news: your average $285.42 bi-monthly “Please Keep Living Here” bill only jumps $26. Garbage stays untaxed, because fairness.
Emperor-for-Life Council Boss Neal Tibbins waved his scepter and declared, “We’ve already raided the piggy bank in 2023, inhaled Biden Bucks in 2024, and borrowed $6 million from our own left pocket in 2025. In 2026 the magic well is dry, so… surprise! You pay more to poop.”
Supporters cooed, “It’s just temporary! This buys us 18 months to invent new taxes that sound permanent.”The grumpy minority moaned, “We’re hooked on caviar government with a Kool-Aid budget. Another Band-Aid on a severed artery.”
One kindly councilor chirped, “If the new bill hurts, call us! We’ll help you apply for the programs that ran out of money last year!”
The tax begins January 1, 2026, and magically vanishes July 1, 2027, right after everyone forgets who voted for it.Evergreen Shores: Living the dream, one emergency surcharge at a time!
Donald Williams, who knew you were also an accomplished writer of satire and parody after all your usual one liner, straight to the point comments here in MEN? As a fellow “frequent flyer” commenter, I must say I’m seriously impressed and pleasantly surprised by this new found aspect of your writer personality. Good one!