The City of Centralia’s 2023-2024 budget appropriations were increased by $464,884 by the Centralia City Council during its regular meeting last week. 

The council approved the budget amendment in a 6-0 vote — with Councilor Cameron McGee absent — from the amount it approved in November 2022 of $147,246,264 to the new total of $147,711,148.

Centralia Finance Director Bret Brodersen said the amount would be covered by unspent 2022 appropriations and unbudgeted new financial sources. Of the $464,884, general fund appropriations account for $80,599 of it. 

The Centralia Police Department is getting $7,089 of unused funds from a K9 grant received in 2022, along with an additional $17,310 in funding from the Washington Association of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs for use-of-force training. 

Funding for fencing was also included to the tune of $56,200 to install fences around the Pearl Street Splash Pad and the newly-proposed Gold Street dog park. Fencing repairs at the Gold Street tennis courts were included as well.  

The remaining $384,285 included money for a council-approved collective bargaining agreement as well as $200,000 for capital projects. 

This budget amendment will receive its second reading before final approval at next Tuesday’s regular City Council meeting.