Mountlake Terrace to host town halls on budget gap

Published 2:08 pm Monday, January 5, 2026

EVERETT — Mountlake Terrace will host two town halls next week about possible solutions to the city’s budget gap.

The city’s Fiscal Sustainability Taskforce, a volunteer community group, will share its budget recommendations for public feedback. In October, the task force shared that the city faces a $4.2 million shortfall through 2030, and reserves could fall below the city’s goal this year.

The first town hall will take place from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Jan. 13 on Zoom. The second event is from 6:30–8:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at City Hall.

At the town halls, staff will lead a presentation on the budget issues and reasons for the budget gap. The task force will share the budget strategies it considered and its proposed recommendation to fill the gap.

After the presentation, there will be interactive, small-group discussions and opportunities for the public to provide feedback on the recommendations. The task force will review the feedback before presenting its final recommendations to the City Council in February.

In addition to the town halls, community members can weigh in on an online survey, which will be available on the city’s website from Jan. 15–22.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.