Fact Check: Is Anacortes Really Starved by the 1% Property Tax Cap?
Did you know the city loves telling residents this line? State law only lets property tax revenue grow 1% a year, so no matter how much your home’s value jumps, the city barely sees a dime more. Hmmm? It’s not exactly wrong. It’s just not the whole story. What’s Actually True Washington’s Initiative 747 really […]
Déjà Vu at City Hall: A $2 Million Late Night Surprise
Did you know that Anacortes City Hall just ran the exact same play twice? At the September 8 City Council meeting, history repeated itself. Just like the firefighters’ contract approved earlier this year, this latest labor deal followed a familiar playbook: a packed agenda right after a holiday weekend, a quick executive session, and a […]
Selective Math and Spending Sprees
Did you know that Anacortes appears to be trying to build the case for preparing taxpayers for another tax grab soon? At the July 27, 2026 City Council meeting, the Finance Department rolled out a familiar refrain: Inflation is outpacing the city’s tax revenue due to Washington state’s 1% annual property tax lid. Slide 20 […]
Ordinance 5033 (Part 1): From Balanced Budget to $2.7M Ask
Did You Know that just eight months after adopting the 2026 budget, Anacortes wants another $2.7 million? On Monday, July 13, 2026, the Anacortes City Council will consider Ordinance 5033: a $2,718,453 budget increase for 2026. Budget amendments happen. Priorities shift, grants arrive, and true emergencies occur. But this one deserves sharp scrutiny. The ordinance […]
Ordinance 5033 (Part 2): The $9M Gap Behind the Reserve Request
Did you know that Anacortes went from strong reserves and a stellar AA credit rating to a brutal budget squeeze in record time? Editor’s Note: This article is the second in a two-part series exploring the city’s sudden budget shifts. If you haven’t yet, we highly recommend reading [Part 1: From Balanced Budget to $2.7M […]
Slipped Through: The Late-Night Vote on the New Firefighters Contract
Did you know that the top item on the City’s list of rising financial challenges has consistently been “Wages & Benefits”? If labor costs are truly the primary driver of our local fiscal strain, then the timeline, handling, and lack of transparency surrounding the City Council’s February 9, 2026 meeting should raise a lot of […]
Left Behind: The 20-Year Promise of the W. 6th Street Community Park
Did you know that the “W 6th Street Community Park” was absent in the City’s formal budget presentations and long-range capital project lists? While internal city departments and administrative operations enjoy clear budgetary paths forward, long-promised community infrastructure in Anacortes continues to sit on the backburner. A 20-Year Wait for Action Approximately 1.5 years […]
Austerity or Administrative Growth? Inside the 2026 Anacortes Budget
Did you know that the 2026 Anacortes city budget is $6.4 million higher than the actual spending recorded in 2025? Overall, the proposed budget represents a nearly 7% increase over last year’s actual expenditures. For months, city leadership’s financial messaging has leaned heavily on a narrative of austerity, claiming Anacortes faces “unprecedented financial challenges” due […]
Anacortes City Council’s New “Ward” Rules: Soft Filtering at the Podium?
Did you know that Anacortes City Council has implemented a new rule for citizens to make public comments at the weekly Council meeting? It’s not just the three-minute timer; it’s the new requirement that you identify your voting ward or neighborhood before you even start your comment. On the surface, it sounds like simple record-keeping. […]
Fidalgo Pool Ballot Measure: Beyond the Obvious?
Did you know that the Fidalgo pool measure is broader that it looks? This November, voters in Anacortes School District No. 103 will see Proposition 1 on the ballot, asking whether to form a Metropolitan Park District (MPD) to support the Fidalgo Pool and Fitness Center. At first glance, the ballot language makes it sound […]