During Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council began discussions on the next two-year budget, with a focus on reviewing options for ways to fund infrastructure investments that will support future growth and achieve the vision of Bellevue’s 2044 Comprehensive Plan and City Council strategic target areas.
The council received an overview of how the city funds services, programs, and infrastructure, including taxes and voter-approved levies that support parks acquisitions and improvements, fire station upgrades and seismic retrofits, transportation safety and congestion relief projects, and expanded recreational facilities. Collectively, the levies generate tens of millions of dollars annually and help sustain long-term capital improvement programs in parks, fire facilities, and transportation networks.
The city manager’s proposed budget is expected to maintain current services and programs while limiting major new investments to significant transportation projects and the city’s key transformational project – the Grand Connection Crossing. The council will review an updated financial forecast in late June and hold their first public hearing on the budget at that time. The city’s budget public involvement web page offers opportunities to learn more about the budget process and how to get involved in the process.
Needed Investments in Transportation Infrastructure
As part of the discussion, councilmembers also reviewed investment strategies and needs for Bellevue’s transportation infrastructure. As Bellevue continues to grow, the city must ensure people can travel safely to schools, transit, jobs, parks, and services. With increasing travel demand, not all new trips can be absorbed by drive-alone vehicle trips. This reality requires strategic investments across all modes, including walking, biking, rolling, and driving, as well as strong connections to regional transit and trails.
Staff from the Finance & Asset Management, Community Development and Transportation departments presented a new prioritization framework to guide the delivery of transportation projects in both high-growth areas and Bellevue’s residential neighborhoods. The framework organizes projects into five program areas: vehicle mobility, pedestrian and bicycle mobility, neighborhood mobility, major projects, and preservation and reconstruction.
The framework applies common evaluation criteria for projects so the city can more transparently assess, score, and communicate how projects such as sidewalks, bike lanes, and access to transit improvements are prioritized.
Councilmembers emphasized that safety must be a primary factor when ranking and advancing projects. The discussion also highlighted the urgency of delivering basic infrastructure such as sidewalks where there are currently gaps.
The framework also helps clarify how much funding is needed to keep pace with the city’s growing transportation needs. Transportation and budget staff outlined potential new revenue options to help close these gaps, including funding through the Transportation Benefit District (TBD), formed in 2023 as a tool to allow Bellevue to raise dedicated funding for transportation infrastructure within city limits if activated. TBD revenues would also be considered to potentially support financing for the Grand Connection Crossing.
If the TBD is activated by the council later this year, a new $20 fee would be added for each vehicle registered in Bellevue, and the city sales tax would increase by 0.1 percent. The sales tax increase is estimated to cost the average household approximately $57 per year.
The council acknowledged the need for additional resources to build key walking, biking, and rolling infrastructure in every neighborhood as well as projects that will deliver new streets with bike facilities, improved sidewalks, and trail and transit connections across central Bellevue.
The Transportation Department will engage the broader community in late spring and summer to better understand community priorities and desired investment areas, including potential investments through the Transportation Benefit District. To be notified about upcoming engagement opportunities, community members are encouraged to sign up for Transportation news alerts.
The full discussion is available through the meeting replay on Bellevue Television.
