The Battle Ground City Council adopted the city’s proposed 2024 budget in a unanimous vote on Dec. 18 after months of budget planning, meetings and public hearings.
“The budget is focused on supporting the vision and initiatives of the council and community, including public safety, livability, beautification, and efficiencies,” a release by the city stated. “The adoption of the budget guarantees funding for the core services necessary to achieve our goals, allowing our community to continue to flourish.”
The budget also prioritizes cost containment measures to keep customer utility rates as low as possible. For example, the City received funding through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) that will be dedicated toward several water and sewer infrastructure projects. The $5.1 million received through ARPA will save ratepayers a cumulative future rate increase of approximately 16%, according to the release.
According to the release, 2024 budget highlights include:
Public Safety: The city received a $413,000 federal grant for public safety technology improvements. These funds will be used to upgrade the emergency communication infrastructure within the local school facilities.
Transportation: The city budgeted $2.5 million for street preservation and maintenance throughout Battle Ground. The City Council approved a 0.1% sales tax increase, increasing the city’s annual investment toward maintaining its transportation system.
An additional $8.3 million has been budgeted for capital improvements, a portion of which — $3.7 million — will be provided through grant funding, with the remainder to come from the city’s transportation impact fees. Some of the capital projects anticipated in 2024 include the purchase of right-of-ways for the Southeast Grace Avenue and Eaton Boulevard projects, the Southwest 20th Avenue walking path and various traffic improvements along Northwest Fifth Street, Northwest 15th Avenue and Southwest First Way.
Parks: The City Council adopted a Parks Improvement Plan in 2022 that identified master plans and designs for the Durkee, Garner Oaks, Fairgrounds Park and Remy properties. These plans will continue into 2024, funded through park impact fees totaling $338,000.
Utilities: The City Council allocated $5.6 million in ARPA funding for the construction of a sewer equalization basin, a 1.4-million-gallon water reservoir, and several water well improvement projects.
The city also received a $2 million federal grant for the construction of a sewer pump station on 92nd Avenue, a project that was introduced in 2023.
“The city of Battle Ground has persevered through careful and diligent planning over the last several years of economic uncertainty,” said Meagan Lowery, finance and information services director, in the release. “We [the city] budget conservatively and evaluate changes to services through our six-year forecasting [in order] to ensure the city can continue to fund new endeavors. With these strategies, the city has been able to move plans forward for the betterment of the community.”
The budget is available for review at cityofbg.org/Budget.
