For most of its history, Bremerton has never been rolling in cash, but the city managed to balance its budget and keep healthy reserves. The General Fund — which covers the services residents depend on every day, like police and fire, parks, streets, the courts, permitting, planning, and the staff who keep things running — typically held about three to four months of expenses in the bank. That was the case in 2017, before the current mayor took office.

Since then, the story has been very different. Starting in 2018, spending has gone off the rails. The citywide budget has nearly doubled in seven years, and the General Fund alone has grown more than 60 percent — far outpacing both inflation and population growth.

In 2021, federal COVID relief gave the city a lifeline, but it was only temporary. Instead of treating it as a one-time cushion, the city spent it as though it would always be there — and spending kept climbing. Between 2022 and 2024, the General Fund spent $1.3 million more than it brought in.

Now, instead of reining things in, the mayor’s 2025–2026 budget digs the hole even deeper. The city is on track to bleed $14 million from the General Fund by the end of 2026. Reserves will fall from about $20 million at the start of 2025 to just $6 million by the end of 2026 — barely enough to cover one month of payroll and bills. In plain terms, Bremerton will be living paycheck to paycheck.

This is why I voted against the mayor’s 2025–2026 budget last November.

Why does this matter? Because reserves are not just numbers in a spreadsheet. They are the city’s safety net when the unexpected hits — whether that’s a natural disaster, a sudden spike in costs, or a lawsuit. Without that cushion, the city faces ugly choices: cutting services, hiking emergency taxes, or delaying maintenance that only grows more expensive later. Spending more than we take in is simply not sustainable.

Meanwhile, Kitsap County has faced its own financial pressures this year, but it has taken a smarter approach. The county froze hiring and asked residents to weigh in on priorities before reserves run dry. That is what responsible leadership looks like. Bremerton should be doing the same.

We’ve seen what happens in Washington when cities run out of room to maneuver. North Bonneville filed for bankruptcy in 1991. Cle Elum became the second city in the state to do so this year, after a legal judgment overwhelmed its fragile budget. Bremerton is not there yet, but the trend is worrisome. Just a few years ago, we had balanced budgets and strong reserves. Today, we face deficits, shrinking savings, and a spike in legal and insurance costs.

I voted against the mayor’s 2025–2026 budget because it does not put us on a responsible path. A good budget matches ongoing costs with ongoing revenues, rebuilds reserves for the future, and plans for rainy days instead of pretending they will never come.

Bremerton has been through tough times before and proven its resilience. We can rise to this challenge again — but only if we are honest about the situation, involve residents in setting priorities, and make the hard choices now.