Tacoma public record
Budget choices,
in public.
Use Tacoma’s official tools to see how City budget decisions are made and explore reported crime data.
Budget process update
The City Manager presented a proposed 2027–2028 budget to Council.
City Manager Hyun Kim presented the proposal at the October 6, 2026 Council Study Session. It is now under Council review; it has not been adopted. The City describes the proposal as a balanced $5.3 billion biennial budget, including a $696.5 million General Fund plan.
Explore the numbers
Follow the proposal, then follow the decisions.
Read the proposed budget, try tradeoffs in the City’s budget simulator, and track the Council meetings ahead. The City’s 2027–2028 plan is proposed; Council action is still to come.
The current challenge
The proposal responds to a structural gap.
The City began this process with a $40 million structural gap in its 2027–2028 baseline budget. In the City’s definition, that means ongoing expenses were projected to grow faster than ongoing revenues.
The proposed plan balances the next biennium, according to the City, while its longer-term forecast still shows expenses outpacing revenue after 2028. The baseline is the context for the choices residents can explore in the budget simulator.
Read the City’s budget outlook and timeline2026 budget adoption schedule
What happened, and what comes next.
The October 6, October 13, October 20, October 27, and November 3 meetings are complete. The remaining dates below are scheduled Council review and public-participation milestones, drawn from the City’s published budget calendar. Council Study Sessions are scheduled for Tuesdays at noon; Council meetings are scheduled for Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
- ✓ Proposed budget presentedCompleted: City Manager presented the budget proposal and updated forecast at the Council Study Session.
- ✓ Climate, environment, transportation & mobilityCompleted: Tacoma Public Utilities and Environment and Public Works presented the proposed budget to Council.
- ✓ Placemaking, experiences, jobs & economyCompleted: Community and Economic Development, Planning and Development Services, and Tacoma Venues and Events presented proposed-budget information to Council.
- ✓ Community safety, housing & homelessness; first public hearingCompleted: Neighborhood and Community Services, Tacoma Fire, and Tacoma Police presented proposed-budget information to Council; Council also held the first public hearing on the proposed budget.
- ✓ Operational excellenceCompleted: Internal Services presented proposed-budget information for the City Manager’s Office, Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology.
- Second public hearing and expected first readingExpected first reading of the biennial budget ordinance.
- Expected adoptionExpected second reading of the ordinance and adoption of the 2027–2028 Biennial Budget.
01 / CITY BUDGET
2027–2028 Budget Simulator
Make your own spending and revenue choices in Tacoma’s Balancing Act simulator. Your selections show the tradeoffs involved in balancing the City’s biennial budget.
City of Tacoma / Balancing Act
The official simulator opens in a new tab, where you can make choices and view the full results.
Public safety data
Explore police data on its own page.
The Tacoma Police Dashboard now has a dedicated place, separate from the budget tools.
A note on public data
Tools are useful. Context matters.
Budget scenarios are not adopted policy, and crime dashboards describe reported incidents—not every experience of safety. For methodology, current updates, and official context, consult the City’s source pages linked above.