Elected Officials Unite to Preserve Community Services
CONTACT: Susan Melnyk, Chief Communications Manager, (360) 867-2097 or susan.melnyk@co.thurston.wa.us
Elected Officials Unite to Preserve Community Services
New County policies would address an ongoing structural deficit by factoring in reduced state and federal funding for mandated community services.
OLYMPIA – Thurston County’s Board today unanimously approved a plan that will absorb most of the County’s $5.5 million budget reduction for 2027 without cutting into community services.
The proposal will transfer eligible 2027 program and service costs – about $3.6 million - to other allowable funding sources, will use $1 million per year from the County's rainy day fund for the next three years, and will include a second year of cuts from the County Commissioners Office.
Officials say this combination of actions will remove immediate pressure from the County’s General Fund leaving community services untouched for 2027.
“The Board has been very concerned about meeting our statutory requirements, providing legislative services and funding our operations,” said Thurston County Manager Leonard Hernandez. “Once services are gone it’s difficult and expensive to set them up again. The County put stabilization funds aside for a rainy day and today is that day. While this plan doesn’t solve the ongoing deficit, it does give us time to put stabilization processes in place, thoroughly review our funding options, and work with new leaders on tighter fiscal management.”
Despite Board alignment around the 2027 budget, Commissioners say they are continuing to grapple with a growing list of state and federal mandates which come to the County without the funding to cover the full cost of implementation, a property-tax revenue cap at one percent increase per year, and general economic volatility.
“We’re supporting this plan because it’s a tough economic season and because we’ll build a process into the budget to stabilize our community services against economic hardships,” said Vice Chair of the Board of County Commissioners Wayne Fournier. “But today’s decision doesn’t address this trend of fiscal isolation – where state and federal mandates arrive without funds to cover them fully and where the legislature caps our annual revenue growth at one percent. We still have work do to.”
County officials say they’re dealing with a new normal – the community is shouldering the cost burden of state and federal mandates with local dollars as in the case of the state’s new standards for indigent defense which puts strict limits on County caseloads, requiring the County to hire more attorneys to fulfill constitutional requirements. In fact, many County offices and departments must fulfill legal requirements set at the state and federal level.
“We can’t simply hope for adequate funding, we have to plan for and build a bridge to stabilize funding for County services,” said Chair of the Board of County Commissioners Tye Menser. “Although we’re taking immediate actions that will protect community services for 2027, we’re also including a mechanism to restore the stabilization funds we’re using and grow them into the future.”
Today’s Board action outlines a three year plan. The Board will continue budget deliberations this week and throughout the next several months to refine the proposal and detail specific actions.
To learn more about the County’s ongoing budget deliberations, to see recorded budget meetings and documents, visit the County’s website at www.thurstoncountywa.gov/balancing-budget
PHOTO: Thurston County Commissioners and leaders discuss 2027 budget options.
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