The City of Yelm is set to hire three more police officers after the Yelm City Council unanimously approved the city’s two-year biennial budget.
The 2025-26 budget includes five outside agencies receiving funding and the addition of several other positions within the city.
Yelm Finance Director Stephanie Nanavich said during the Tuesday, Nov. 26, council meeting that funds will be appropriated for the 2025-26 biennial budget with the passing vote. The budget also includes adding a projects and grants manager, a wastewater treatment plant operator and a maintenance worker.
The budget also allows for the utility billing clerk position to be changed to an accounting technician role. A part-time seasonal position will also be added to the Yelm Community Center during “peak season.”
The five outside agencies receiving funding from the City of Yelm throughout the next two years includes the Yelm Senior Center at $24,000, Total Sports Development at $4,000, Bounty for Families at $12,000, South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity at $5,000 and Rebuilding Together Thurston County at $5,000.
The city’s biennial budget can be viewed in full detail online at https://tinyurl.com/YelmBudget.
“Our budget reflects the shared priorities of this administration and council,” Yelm Mayor Joe DePinto said in his budget statement. “I first want to thank Stephanie [Nanavich] and our finance team who have worked hard to create this budget. I want to thank [City Administrator] Todd [Stancil] and all of our department directors who have spent countless hours in preparation of this budget. Thank you council who have also put in lots of hours in committees and during the council retreat, providing input and direction.
“We started this process early in the year, with directors of our various city departments presenting to council first during the council retreat early this year and throughout study sessions and council meetings for the past four months,” DePinto continued. “Some of these shared priorities include fully funding public safety and increasing the amount of police officers by utilizing new revenue from the County Public Safety Tax.”
DePinto added that other shared priorities include funding for transportation projects to improve local roads, reduce congestion and focus on pedestrian safety by introducing more sidewalks throughout Yelm. The city will also continue to fund beautification grants and invest in arts, culture and recreation.
“While many cities are going through funding challenges for various reasons, we have strategically utilized additional revenue from increases in sales tax and Business and Operating Tax to provide a fiscally responsible and balanced budget that puts back more money into this community than ever before,” DePinto said. “Council has expressed overwhelming support to fund the senior center at historic levels as well as provide funding for other wonderful local nonprofits, and that’s what this budget does. It invests heavily back into our community. I would ask council to pass this balanced budget, and together we will continue to make Yelm a vibrant, thriving and safe community to live in.”
Councilor Terry Kaminski said, after several meetings, she feels confident in the council’s work.
“Everything is balanced within the budget, and we’re looking good. I feel good about the budget.”
