Warrenton city commissioners adopted the city's 2025-26 budget on Tuesday.

WARRENTON — Commissioners on Tuesday night adopted the city’s 2025-2026 budget and approved rate increases for water, sewer and recycling services.

The budget totals $74,161,509, representing a roughly $6.2 million revenue increase from the adopted 2024-2025 budget. Of that, $27,755,318 is reserved for future expenditures. The general fund, which totals $7,827,180, is a $286,377 increase from the most recent fiscal year.

Over the past year, the city has completed several projects, including the first phase of a Safe Routes to School project widening the intersection at 9th Street and Main Ave, a design phase for the Hammond waterline project, and repairs and replacements for more than 330 linear feet of docks at the city’s marinas. An interior drainage study for the first phase of levee certification was also completed in 2024. 

For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the city will begin phase two of the Safe Routes to School project, with the goal of having sidewalks from 9th Street to Warrenton High School by 2027. Other capital projects identified in the budget include erosion control work at Seafarers’ Park, a raw water storage feasibility study at the water treatment plant and the city’s Iredale culvert replacement project. 

The largest project over the next three years will be the city’s new Membrane Bioreactor Wastewater Treatment plant — a $35 million project that will be in the design phase through 2025 and into 2026, with plans to break ground in 2026. The project is partially funded by a $12.5 million voter-approved general obligation bond. 

To help prepare for the project and other increases for materials, staffing and infrastructure projects, staff also proposed increased utility rates. Commissioners approved a 4% increase for water rates and an 8% increase for sewer rates. They also approved a 2.1% increase for recycling rates in accordance with its franchise agreement with Recology Western Oregon, which provides recycling services to the city.

The adopted budget and rate increases will take effect July 1. 

This story has been corrected to accurately reflect rate increases passed by the City Commission.