Politics & Government

Kirkland City Council Approves Equitable, Safe And Resilient 2021-2022 Budget

In order to ensure Kirkland's finances and infrastructure are resilient, the budget addresses the economic challenges of 2020.

December 11, 2020

KIRKLAND, Wash. – On December 8, 2020, the Kirkland City Council unanimously adopted the 2021-2022 Budget, “Investing in a More Equitable, Safe and Resilient Kirkland.” The budget was profoundly shaped by the dramatic and historic events that continue to unfold in 2020. The City is still grappling with the social, financial and health impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak that erupted in Kirkland on February 29, 2020 and spread throughout the nation. Also developed amid the racial justice movement reignited by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, the budget proposal responds to the commitment made by the City Council on August 4, 2020 through Resolution R-5434 to affirm that Black lives matter, to improve the safety and respect of Black people, and to help end structural racism.

Find out what's happening in Kirklandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“On behalf of the City Council, we would like to thank everyone in the community who provided input on the budget and shared their priorities as we look toward the next two years,” said Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet. “We would also like to thank the City staff for developing a fiscally responsible budget that reflects both our community’s values and our community’s needs. We are proud of this budget and the budget process that we have been through this year.”

The City’s biennial budget puts the community’s priorities into motion and links goals and policy to the actual day-to-day activities of the organization. Kirkland prides itself on providing residents an exceptional quality of life with safe streets, a clean environment and beautiful parks. These choices, whether related to public safety, maintaining parks, keeping pedestrians safe, or protecting the natural environment, are made through the budget.

Find out what's happening in Kirklandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In order to ensure Kirkland’s finances and infrastructure are resilient, the budget addresses the economic challenges of 2020. The budget also maintains the City’s AAA credit rating and compensates for the expiration of the state Annexation Sales Tax Credit (ASTC) in 2021, which results in the loss of nearly $5 million per year in the City’s general fund revenue. Balancing the budget required drawing on one-time cash reserves and reductions in expenditures. The total biennial budget for 2021-2022 is 6.87 percent less than the final amended 2019-2020 biennial budget.

The preliminary budget can be viewed by going to www.kirklandwa.gov/budget. The final budget document will be available during the first quarter of 2021.


This press release was produced by the City of Kirkland. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Kirkland