Thursday, October 1, 2026
Port of Olympia Commissioner Jasmine Vasavada withdrew a request to cut $400,000 in the port’s 2026 budget due to time constraints.
Vasavada made the request at a work session on Monday, Nov. 17, under an agenda item known as “budget 2026 final adjustments.”
Port Executive Director Alex Smith said staff could find a way to make it work should the rest of the commission agree. But Vasavada decided to not pursue her request after a suggestion by port staff that they could revisit her proposal in a budget amendment.
Vasavada said the $400,000 cut would cover reductions in the paid hours of directors not working in critical operations areas, as well as a $96,000 contract for lobbying services, which she felt would not be needed for next year.
She also requested a 2% wage increase for non-represented staff, which includes directors, accounting, finance and communications personnel. Staff has been recommending a 2.7% increase, but Vasavada said 2% is consistent with what the state is providing.
“I do think leadership staff here in Olympia, if you look across ports, are very generous — and it's one of the things that makes us an employer of choice,” Vasavada said. “But I don't think we have to be quite that generous (in 2026).”
According to Smith, a budget needs to be passed by the end of November, so staffers are aiming to have the final budget adopted by next week.
Vasavada said she was confused about the purpose of the discussion and asked when it would have been best to make suggestions.
“I didn't understand the intent of this if it was too late to bring something forward,” Vasavada said.
A port staffer said it was not too late for changes, but noted Vasavada’s proposal was too substantial for the current timeline.
Smith also explained staffers were just following last year’s schedule and they would do a better job next time to explain when the commissioners could share feedback.
The proposed 2026 budget sees the port earning $17.2 million in operating revenues and spending $16.4 in operating expenses.
The proposed budget also includes $15.7 million in capital expenditure, $4.2 million in debt service payments, $8.6 million in nonoperating expenses, $7.5 million in grant revenue and $8.1 million in property tax revenue.
Overall, the port’s 2026 budget projects an ending cash balance of $13.6 million, down from a beginning cash balance of $24.7 million. A copy of the proposed budget may be viewed here.
4 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
BobJacobs
It's good to see a Port commissioner question the level of port expenditures. We need more of that.
Not good that the Port continues to hide its annual deficits, which are covered by our property taxes. [Note that the Port's bottom line is not mentioned here.]
The port continues to "take from the poor and give to the rich". The direct beneficiaries of all of its businesses -- marine terminal, marina/boatworks, airport, and real estate -- are people of means. It is galling that ordinary taxpayers are being forced to subsidize people who don't deserve subsidies.
Bob Jacobs
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
JW
Good to know which pockets my property taxes will be going in to.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
CarlaWul
I agree with Mr. Jacobs. I don't own a boat or an airplane so why are my Port taxes subsidizing those people who do? And yes, at the Port's Work Session it was a relief to hear Commissioner Vasavada make suggestions for cuts to the Port's 2026 budget.
Ms. Vasavada went on to say that if the Port was part of Thurston County, the Port's budget would be first on the chopping block. But those cuts will never happen because the Port has no agency oversight.
Expenditures like the $3.5 million in the Port's 2026 Capital Budget to renovate the Dancing Goats building for Port office space might have been cut. Or the $4 million for a new warehouse at the Marine Terminal might have been axed, preventing the Port's gamble with millions in public funds. Commissioners are counting on import revenue from a Brazilian company to continue to justify the warehouse investment. However, no written contract with that Brazilian company exists. And what about the current world of international tariffs?
Carla Wulfsberg
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
Boatyarddog
This Damn Port is SO Deep in its Denial of Financial Importance they Can't Hear or see the writing on the Wall. They are like KIDS in a Candy Store. CLOSE THE DAMN PORT MARINE TERMINAL. SAVE Budd Bays Marine Ecology! Tourism is a much better Long Term Venture.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this