Dear Citizens of Medicine Lake

As we create our 2025 budget and prepare for the upcoming elections of the mayor and three of the four council seats, we are assessing the all-volunteer nature of our elected positions. In recent years, we started providing modest compensation for the roles of Public Works Superintendent, Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, Treasurer, and City Clerk. This change has helped retain the amazing talent in these positions. Given the increasing demands and responsibilities of our City Council duties, the all-volunteer nature is not sustainable, and we believe it's time to provide modest compensation for our elected positions as well.

Over the past six years, our city has diligently managed its finances to support $9 million in infrastructure projects with minimal tax increases. Our infrastructure and financial situations are now stable. Starting in 2025, we propose modest compensation for the Councilmembers and Mayor, ranging between $3,600 to $6,000 annually, along with nominal increases for other compensated positions. This will bring strength and stability to all key leadership positions.

As we prepare the 2025 budget, we have identified a few cost-saving opportunities that will partially offset this new compensation expense. Thus, the current proposal under consideration for 2025 will be a 5% overall increase in our city’s operating budget.

As with all key city decisions, we want this to be a community discussion to gather your input before this is officially reviewed in the coming months. Please join our City Council meeting on Monday, August 5th, at 6 PM, where we will discuss this during the Open Forum section at the start of the meeting. If you cannot attend, you can email your thoughts to [email protected]. Please share your questions and insights!

Thank you for your engagement and support.

Chris Heim

Mayor, City of Medicine Lake