Mayor Marla Keethler and White Salmon’s City Council (right) celebrate graduates of the first Civics Academy (left), a partnership with Washington Gorge Action Programs, during their Nov. 20 meeting. From left to right, graduates include Carl Trabant, John Palmer, Nancy Palmer, Brendan Brown, Rowan Delloway, Patrick Odell, Donna Rockwell and Kristen Sagan.
Mayor Marla Keethler and White Salmon’s City Council (right) celebrate graduates of the first Civics Academy (left), a partnership with Washington Gorge Action Programs, during their Nov. 20 meeting. From left to right, graduates include Carl Trabant, John Palmer, Nancy Palmer, Brendan Brown, Rowan Delloway, Patrick Odell, Donna Rockwell and Kristen Sagan.
WHITE SALMON — White Salmon’s City Council concluded a three-meeting spate of financial discussions by unanimously passing the 2025 budget on Nov. 20, laying out the key priorities and needs the city intends to address next year.
The meeting began, however, with Mayor Marla Keethler handing out certificates to eight students who graduated from the first Civics Academy, facilitated by the city and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP). Over the course of six classes, each with different presenters, students learned about the structure of government, several municipal services and city operations like community development, all designed to empower new local leaders.
“The students were so engaged and asked so many wonderful questions,” said Benjamin Noble, WAGAP’s co-director of civic engagement. “It just seemed like a really positive experience for everyone.” WAGAP hopes to offer the Civics Academy once or twice a year and is currently planning a Spanish version with the City of Bingen for spring 2025.
Afterward, City Attorney and Yakama Nation member Shawn MacPherson shared his family’s military legacy as part of Native American Heritage Month. His great uncle, Holt Brewer, fought in the Korean War, and MacPherson described how many Indigenous peoples felt proud to serve despite current and past mistreatment. Then, council dove into the budget.
“I’ll just reinforce there really are not any significant additional expenditures being brought forward to you at this time,” said Keethler. “We continue to be challenged by the rising costs, especially when it comes to benefits, personnel and insurance the city needs to carry.”
Keethler noted that personnel costs, everything from code enforcement to police, have risen 40% over the last four years, with a projected total cost of just under $3 million in 2025. Overall, White Salmon expects to collect about $8.5 million in revenue and dole out around $7.9 million in expenditures across its various funds next year.
Some notable expenditures include replacing the water line along a significant stretch of Jewett Blvd. ($8,045,000; grant-supported), hiring another public works employee ($125,287) and a new planning consultant ($80,000), paying risk management insurance ($217,417) and money for a new local pool ($65,767).
For a complete list of upcoming expenditures, critical goals from each of White Salmon’s 10 departments and a full budget breakdown, visit www.whitesalmonwa.gov/citycouncil/page/city-council-meeting-118 and download the document titled “Budget in Brief.” Council will further refine specific allocations in March.
Once council passed the budget, they shifted to individual reports, during which Councilor Jim Ransier expressed his concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to execute mass deportations using the United States military. Keethler reported she’s already had discussions with Police Chief Mike Hepner about how the city would respond.
The next city council meeting will take place on Dec. 4.
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