Council members debated a motion to repeal the recently enacted utility tax at the Sammamish City Council regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Mayor Karen Howe placed repeal of Ordinance O2025‑580 (enacting a utility tax and a natural/manufactured gas use tax) on the agenda, saying she wanted the incoming council to start with a clean slate. The council heard extended public comment from residents urging opposing actions: Darcy Donovan, Local 1425 president, told council, “Please keep the utility tax to protect the city's employees that provide those services,” and other residents warned that repealing the tax in a lame‑duck session would leave the incoming council with fewer policy options.

Council discussion split along fiscal and procedural lines. Councilmember Kaylee Clark said she could not support repeal, arguing staff and the Fiscal Sustainability Task Force had invested substantial time and that removing the revenue would accelerate a budget crisis. Councilmember Rosheno Farrell said she disliked the tax personally but believed ongoing expenses should be covered by ongoing revenue and therefore opposed repeal. Deputy Mayor Amy Lam argued the incoming council should have the opportunity to advance new fiscal ideas and said that if the incoming council concludes the tax is still needed they can re‑implement it.

Finance Director Vicki Carlson and other staff told council the utility tax estimate used in budget amendments is approximately $11,000,000 annually; staff also noted the mid‑biennium amendments will still show a drawdown of fund balance in the adopted biennial budget absent additional changes. Councilmember Kent Train and others pressed for more program‑by‑program budget scrutiny as an alternative to immediate repeal.

When the council voted on the motion to repeal the ordinance, the motion failed. The council then proceeded with other agenda items, including adoption of mid‑biennium budget amendments that, as presented to council, included the utility tax revenue estimate.

The meeting record shows no formal roll‑call breakdown recorded in the minutes for the repeal vote; the mayor announced the motion’s failure after the voice vote.