Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media
The Goldendale City Council was able to roll through a heavy agenda in a single hour last night.
That included held a public hearing on 2026 revenue sources, which drew no comment and the 2026 budget.
Sarah Kazcmarek of TCJ, Incorporated, the CPA firm hired by the city, laid out the high points:
“The expected revenues in our budget are about $8 million dollars, and the expected expenses are about $7.5 million, so we’re anticipating a total kind of net surplus of about $583,000.”
That drew the only public comment on the budget, a question for the audience on whether the city had a rainy day fund. The answer to that was that the city did have a surplus, which was stored in different accounts, but no standalone fund identified that way. Councilors decided that a separate, unrestricted fund should be created to track the nearly $1 million balance that was freed up by allocating the original federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to police salaries.
The council approved a motion to extend Airport Manager Rick Lundin’s agreement for six months, to be followed by yearly reviews and renewals by the council.
Lundin provided a detailed update, covering plans for new hangars, efforts to secure grants, the challenge of replacing the courtesy car due to insurance liability, and fuel sales data. He also said he’d been approached by an aircraft and power plant mechanic who’d like to set up a commercial operation and an airplane owner, who would like to build there as well.
“It’ll be nice to have two brand-new hangars go up. We’re going to make money by making sure that we’ve got letters of understanding with any agency that wants to use the airport, that we increase the fuel sales, and we collect rents on hangars. I mean, that’s how you make money.”
He said construction could start as early as spring.
The council also approved Resolution 748, establishing the regular property tax levy for the 2026 budget, and accepted Ordinance 1549, adopting the 2026 budget, for its first reading.