PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles City Council has approved the city’s 2026 budget, a package just under $200 million that includes nearly $64 million in capital projects.
City Manager Nathan West said the budget meets the city’s long-standing goal of being adopted at the first meeting in December and remains balanced, with revenues matching expenditures.
West said this year’s unusually large total is driven mainly by capital work scheduled across the water, wastewater, electric and transportation systems.
“A couple of things to really celebrate about this budget. Number one is, it’s balanced, right? Expenditures and revenues are fully balanced. But number two is, it’s a reflection of the fact that we have worked really hard to ensure we’re making a conscious choice on how we fund our capital projects. Instead of increasing taxes to fund those capital projects so that we can do them in the year we happen to need them, we have actually taken the time to save up money for each of these capital projects over time, so that we can afford to do them,” said West.
Major projects include the Ennis Creek fish-passage replacement, the Highway 101/Truck Route intersection upgrade, new electric-utility facilities, additional EV charging stations, and continued water and sewer line replacements. Several projects are carryovers from 2025.
More than $40 million in grant funding is built into the budget, particularly for public-works projects. West noted that many grants have deadlines, which shapes the timing of the city’s capital schedule.
The city maintains a minimum fund balance of 23–25 percent across major funds, which West said protects emergency reserves while allowing the city to draw from designated capital savings accounts built up over time.
The 2026 budget includes no new staff positions. West said the city is taking a cautious approach given economic uncertainty.
Last year’s final amended budget reached approximately $205 million, but that number included late-year additions not present at adoption.