Cashmere City Council votes to absorb Transportation District, eyes potential sales tax

CASHMERE — The Cashmere City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday, May 27, to absorb the Cashmere Transportation Benefit District (CTBD) into the Council itself, consolidating administrative responsibilities and setting the stage for a potential local sales tax increase.

The move passed with a 3–0 vote. The CTBD, originally established by the Council in September 2024, was created to allow for the implementation of a sales tax specifically earmarked for transportation projects. Officials say the goal is to generate new revenue to help offset rising city expenses, including a 200% increase in charges from the Chelan County Sheriff's Office for jail services, which now total an additional $85,000.

Mayor Jim Fletcher told councilmembers that a proposal to enact a 0.1% sales tax will be brought forward at the next meeting. The proposed tax would add 1 cent to every $10 in taxable sales, generating an estimated $100,000 annually.

The Council also tabled a proposed amendment to an agreement with engineering firm Perteet, Inc., which would have authorized additional funds for further analysis of data related to the Climate Change Resiliency Element of the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

Councilmember John Perry questioned what the additional funds would cover.

“They would be fine-tuning the analysis and digging deeper into the data,” said Steve Croci, the city’s director of operations. Croci added that the analysis was required by the state and would be paid for with state grant funds.

Perry responded, “I do not want to just pay them because the funds were in the grant.”

Councilmember Jeff Johnson asked whether the additional analysis was necessary and whether it would be useful. The Council opted to delay the vote pending more information.

Separately, the Council unanimously approved a different amendment to the Perteet contract, allowing the firm to continue work on updating the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Croci said the update was necessary due to new state regulations and growing community interest, which are driving significant changes that require more time to complete.

In other business, the Council approved two infrastructure projects. The first will replace a failed pump at the city’s water treatment plant. Croci said repair was not cost-effective, and the only bid received — totaling $43,360 — was accepted. The second project involves replacing damaged sidewalks along Tigner Road. Chettos Concrete, LLC submitted the lowest of three bids at $34,438.

Mayor Fletcher also issued a proclamation recognizing June as “Ride Transit Month,” encouraging residents, businesses, and visitors to use public transportation and “celebrate its many benefits for our community and our future.”