The Des Moines City Council convened on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, addressing several key financial, administrative, and inter-jurisdictional matters.
Highlights of the meeting included the unanimous approval of the property tax levy, sparking discussion on the city’s share of overall property tax revenue, and the adoption of 2025-2026 budget amendments aimed at maintaining services amidst economic uncertainty.
The Council also took decisive action by approving a tri-city agreement to challenge the Sea-Tac Airport expansion, and voted to approve a raise for the City Manager following her first year of service, a decision that drew a single dissenting vote.
Property Tax Levy Approved
The property tax levy received unanimous council approval during its second reading. Finance Director Jeff Friend pointed out that the city only gets 8.36% of total property taxes paid by residents. The rest goes to schools, emergency services, and other regional entities. Councilmember JC Harris said the city should be advocating for a greater portion of the property tax “pie”, arguing that Washington State gets tons of tax dollars and the city could use more of that funding.
Councilmember Harris also mentioned that King County offers the most generous property tax exemption in the entire country. He said that most people who qualify for this exemption do not apply for it. Applicants must be over age 61, and earn less than $84,000 per household. More information and the application are available at the King County tax assessor site, linked above.
2025-2026 Budget Amendments
Finance Director Jeff Friend said that “uncertainty” is currently the keyword for the general economy. He pointed out that inflation is rebounding, though not expected to reach recent record highs again. The goal of city staff has been to maintain city services and jobs, while navigating higher costs of everything from jail services to equipment and wages.
The 2025-2026 budget amendments include building in a $50,000 contingency fund, with plans to increase the amount in this fund as the city is able. This fund will help provide long term stability in the face of unexpected costs that arise throughout the year.
With the $450,000 in revenue from the new public safety sales tax, plans include hiring a new officer, reinstating full animal control services through Burien CARES, and putting the rest towards public defense costs.
Interlocal Agreement For Stay Of Airport Expansion
The council unanimously approved an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between Des Moines, Burien, and Seatac. This ILA will establish a process for coordinated legal services to analyze the impacts of the planned expansion of Sea-Tac Airport and request a stay of the project. The initial appeal costs the city $1,000. Discussion of next steps will take place in early 2026.
Merit Raise For City Manager
The council approved a 10% salary increase for the city manager, in a 5–1 vote. The increase is a combination of a 6% merit raise, plus a 4% cost of living adjustment. This brings her salary to $269,500 for 2026.
Councilmember JC Harris voted against it, saying the first year is too soon for a raise like this. He would have supported it after she had been with the city for two years. He also thought it was inappropriate to increase compensation while the state is officially in an economic depression.
Councilmember Matt Mahoney said City Manager Katherine Caffrey is an excellent manager, and that this increase simply brings her salary more in line with that of her peers. Mayor Traci Buxton said Caffrey has charged forward in the face of all kinds of challenges in her first year with the city, raising its professional character.
Dec. 4 Meeting Change
Due to the amount of council business to take care of amidst the coming holidays, the Dec. 4 meeting has been changed. It was planned to be a study session, and will now be a regular business meeting.
