At its June 25, 2026 meeting, the Des Moines City Council balanced community celebration with long-term governance.
The council heard a comprehensive financial update detailing the city’s conservative budgeting strategy.
Notably, the council unanimously approved a new speed camera ordinance aimed at curbing traffic violations, sparking a robust discussion around public safety and driver notification.
Shark In The Park
The annual Shark In The Park, billed as the “biggest street party in South King County” will take place on Sunday, July 12 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. It was mentioned that parking was an issue last year, so this year there will be a free shuttle taking passengers from the Star Lake Park & Ride to the event. Redondo Beach Drive will be completely closed to cars from 9am-5pm.
The event, which celebrates Redondo being the Sixgill Shark capital of the world, will include live music, food trucks, and 50 vendors. It is a free, family friendly festival, and will also have hands-on science and craft activities. Shark costumes encouraged; see link for event details.
Finance Report
Finance Director Jeff Friend provided the city council with a financial report, highlighting key shifts in revenue, expenses, and upcoming budget strategies.
Revenue Shortfalls and Long-Term Trends
- Property Tax Dispute: A significant portion of the city’s current revenue shortfall stems from a dispute between Wesley Homes and the county. While historically tax-exempt, the county recently reclassified the organization as only partially tax-exempt. Wesley Homes has not yet paid the disputed taxes in the ongoing dispute.
- Declining Camera Revenue: Long-term revenue expectations are being adjusted downward, driven in part by a sharp drop in red-light camera violations. While faster-than-expected behavioral changes from drivers mean safer roads, it also means a rapid reduction in anticipated city funding.
- One-Time Revenue: On a positive note, one-time revenue from local construction activity remains strong. However, because this stream is inherently temporary, it cannot be relied upon for ongoing operations. Mayor Yoshiko Grace Matsui requested a future discussion on strategies to attract and maximize these one-time influxes.
Funding Successes and Revenue Recovery
- Public Safety Sales Tax: The newly implemented public safety sales tax is performing well, bringing in an average of $45,000 per month to help offset rising public safety costs.
- Tax Enforcement: To further secure its financial position, the city is aggressively pursuing delinquent business taxes, setting up payment plans when needed.
Future Outlook
- Fleet Replacements & Reserves: Staff are now prioritizing the replacement of necessary fleet vehicles—a program that had fallen significantly behind in recent years as vehicle costs climbed. Concurrently, the city is focused on building up its financial reserves while closely monitoring recurring revenue streams.
- Future Budgeting: City Manager Katherine Caffrey noted that the 2026 budget was crafted to be extremely conservative, and staff intend to maintain this disciplined, cautious approach when drafting the upcoming 2027/2028 budget.
Speed Cam Ordinance
The process has begun to install more speed cameras. The state now allows additional speed cameras anywhere they will make a difference in road safety, at the rate of 1 camera per 10,000 residents, so Des Moines did speed studies at seven locations. The top locations, with speeding rates between 20% and 42% of all cars, were chosen for new camera locations. Along one stretch of 24th Ave N, for example, there were found to be about 2,000 cars per day going more than 5 miles over the speed limit.
The state also now allows cameras in “school walk zones,” allowing speed enforcement 24 hours a day in areas where children walk to school. Councilmembers Harry Steinmetz and Pierre DeBlosse wondered whether it was right to ticket drivers at midnight in a school walk zone, and that it might be confusing since the ticketed speed will change according to school zone hours. Signs will clarify the photo enforcement in these areas.
Councilmember Jeremy Nutting asked if the city could install speed zone cameras at construction sites, which he said people are still driving through at dangerous speeds. Des Moines is not authorized for construction zone cameras however. Nutting added that speed cameras act as a force multiplier for the police, allowing road safety to be monitored without the cost of additional officers.
Deputy Mayor Gene Achziger said this is all done in an effort to make roads safer. Councilmember Steinmetz added that one of the most common complaints from the public is about speeding, and this is an affordable solution. Councilmember JC Harris predicted, however, that the public will feel micromanaged.
Although the council unanimously approved this ordinance, there will still be a long process before the new cameras are sending out tickets, including a period of public notification at each location. The contract with Verra Mobility will need to be updated, which will require further council action. Verra covers the cost of installing the cameras, as part of their five-year contract for service.
Video
Below is full, raw video of this meeting:
