Hermiston council approves budget, moves forward on East Jennie Avenue extension LID
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, June 9th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
HERMISTON – The Hermiston City Council approved the fiscal year budget for 2026-27 which will go into effect July 1. The spending plan was the result of the Hermiston Budget Committee, which consists of council members and citizen volunteers.
The budget totals about $123.1 million across all city funds, which is about four percent lower than the current budget. That saving was due to the completion of capital projects including the library and the public safety center.
The council also approved going forward with discussion of extending East Jennie Avenue between Northeast Eighth and Northeast 10th streets. It was stressed at the meeting that this was merely step one and two of a multi-step process. Since the area was rezoned for residential, development is underway that is expected to add about 475 housing units to the area.
The extension of East Jennie Avenue would create an east-west connection in an area experiencing significant residential growth. The project is expected to improve mobility for residents and better connect neighborhoods and transportation corridors like Highway 395.
A local improvement district (LID) is a financing tool that allows the cost of public infrastructure improvements to be shared by the properties that directly benefit from a project. The resolutions approved by the council did not create any financial obligations for property owners, nor did it formally establish the LID.
The council has scheduled a public hearing on the LID for July 27. Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan said that staff will begin notifying property owners of the hearing beginning today.
Map of the extension of E. Jennie Ave. from the city of Hermiston
