## Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council convened on Monday, April 27, 2026, for its regular meeting in City Council Chambers. All seven council members were present: Council President Hannah Stone, Hollie Huffman, Dan Hammel, Skip Williams, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist, and Jace Cotton. The meeting, which ran for over three hours, featured a comprehensive State of the Court presentation from municipal court officials, numerous budget amendments, and several significant transportation and infrastructure initiatives. This meeting stood out for both the breadth of business conducted and some notable civic developments. The council addressed over $100 million in budget reappropriations, approved major transportation improvements, and tackled the ongoing community debate over wastewater treatment at Post Point. The evening also marked the beginning of the initiative process for a proposed algorithmic price-fixing ordinance brought forward by Community First Whatcom. ## State of the Court: Record Caseloads and Innovative Programs The evening began with an extensive presentation from Municipal Court Judge Deborah Lev, newly appointed Municipal Court Judge Nicholas Henry, and Court Director Tammy Bennett. Their annual report revealed that 2025 was a record-breaking year for the Bellingham Municipal Court, with criminal filings reaching an all-time high of 3,065 cases—and the trend shows no signs of slowing. "Not only did 2025 have the highest number of cases that we've ever had, but we do track them on a monthly basis," Bennett explained. "At the end of quarter one in 2026, as far as criminal filings go, we've had a 22% increase over 2025. So, obviously a little over 20% what was already a record year for us, so it does continue to grow." The numbers paint a picture of increasing demand on the court system. When including infractions and parking violations, the court processed 27,079 total cases in 2025. The first quarter of 2026 showed an even more dramatic 49% increase in total filings compared to the same period in 2025. Judge Henry, recently sworn in to replace a retiring judge, described the daily reality: "Judge Lev and I are in court every single day, generally morning and afternoon. We do get one or two either mornings or afternoons a week where we get to catch up on office stuff, but otherwise we're in court every single day dealing with the criminal hearings." The court has had to adapt creatively to manage this crushing caseload. Th…