Cashmere City Council approves local sales tax increase for transportation projects

CASHMERE — The Cashmere City Council, acting as the city’s Transportation Benefit District, approved a one-tenth of one percent sales tax increase during its June 9 meeting, designating the funds for transportation-related projects.

The motion passed by a 3-1 vote following months of discussion regarding rising municipal expenses and diminishing city revenues. Councilmember Sheila Pistoresi was absent from the meeting.

According to city documents, the new tax will amount to an additional one cent per $10 purchase, generating an estimated $100,000 annually. The decision comes in response to what city officials described as escalating costs, including a 200% increase in fees paid to Chelan County for jail services, which rose from $65,000 to $150,000.

Mayor Jim Fletcher reaffirmed prior concerns that city revenues have not kept pace with expenditures. He noted that the city's Capital Fund, typically used for large-scale infrastructure projects, has been steadily depleted. Fletcher also cited reductions in public services, including cutbacks on snow plowing and the elimination of the city’s animal control contract, as signs of the city’s financial strain.

Prior to the vote, the council considered whether to put a larger tax proposal—0.2 percent—before voters. Councilmembers raised several concerns about that option, including an estimated $10,000 cost to place the item on the ballot and the risk of rejection due to what was described as prevailing public opposition to tax increases. Council members also questioned the political feasibility of implementing a lower tax if a higher one were to be defeated by voters.

Councilmember John Perry, who cast the lone dissenting vote, expressed support for a 0.2 percent tax but favored putting it before the public.

“I think it would be a great opportunity to educate the public, and to build their knowledge about the city’s budget,” Perry said.

Following the vote, the council discussed revisiting the 0.2 percent tax option in the future through a public ballot measure.

In separate business, the council unanimously approved an $11,007 amendment to its contract with Perteet, Inc. for additional work on the Climate Change Resiliency Element of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The work will be funded through a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The amendment had been tabled at a previous meeting due to questions about its necessity. Director of Operations Steve Croci said the city’s Comprehensive Plan is outdated and new state laws require substantial updates to municipal codes.

“We should use all of the grant funds available to get useful work completed,” Croci told the council.

Christina Wollman, a planning consultant with Perteet, Inc., told the council that Cashmere currently lacks a visionary guiding document.

“The goal is to create a visionary guiding document for Cashmere, which she said does not exist in the current Plan,” Wollman said.

Councilmembers Perry and Chris Carlson expressed a desire to review a detailed scope of services for the project.

Also during the meeting, the council approved the appointment of Micah Haney to the Cashmere Planning Commission