The Washington County Budget Committee has approved a $2 billion total budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, successfully closing a $20.5 million general fund gap. This decision comes after a thorough public hearing yesterday, according to a report on the county's website. The budget aims to maintain mandated county services, despite the county witnessing its fifth consecutive year of a general fund gap, juxtaposed with significant population growth in the region.
Board of County Commissioners Chair Kathryn Harrington expressed the difficulty in balancing service commitments with budgetary constraints, telling the county's news portal, "It is very hard for us to step back from service delivery." Addressing the uncertainty ahead, Harrington added, "We don’t know what our state Legislature will do. We also have no idea what’s going to happen at the federal level. But nonetheless, we are going to continue to be brave together and figure out how we can develop valued services for the community that we know and love here in Washington County."
The approved budget reflects a 5% reduction compared to the previous year's modified budget, shrinking overall funds by $104.3 million. Despite these fiscal challenges, the general fund will see a $5.3 million increase, a necessary move to navigate Oregon's restrictive property tax generation framework. Dealing with anticipated expenditures such as higher health care and retirement costs and the rising price of materials, the county formulated spending and reduction scenarios ranging from 10 to 17 percent in various departments.
Significant cuts were applied across multiple services, with the largest being a $12 million reduction in general fund transfers impacting the Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program (MSTIP) and the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS). According to the Washington County website, public safety and justice faced a $7.1 million decrease, notably hitting the Sheriff’s Office with vacant patrol and jail deputy positions seeing cuts totaling $4.1 million.
Despite the tough budget discussions, Commissioner Pame Treece recognized the constructive nature of the process, stating on the county's website, “We had hard discussions, we had good discussions, I learned a lot, but I honestly feel that we all came to this passionately about doing the right thing for the community that we serve." The approved budget also includes investments towards employee systems and modernizing organizational frameworks, with a notable $19.7 million allocated toward replacing an outdated enterprise resource planning tool. Federal pandemic response funds will cover $11 million of this cost.
Looking forward, Washington County residents have the opportunity to provide input during a public hearing on June 17 before the Board of County Commissioners makes a final decision on adopting the budget. Information on how to attend the meeting or join via Zoom can be found on the board’s meeting portal at their website. The meeting will also be streamed live on the County’s YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person.
