Washington County cut paychecks worth about $232 million in 2025, tacked on roughly $9.8 million in overtime and saw more than 60 employees cross the $200,000 mark for the year. All of that is landing on the table just as commissioners hammer out next year’s budget and debate a countywide pension “pickup” that officials acknowledge will add millions to personnel costs.
County finances at a glance
For the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2025, the county listed covered payroll at roughly $232.1 million and reported 2,443 full-time equivalent positions, according to the Washington County financial report. The county posts budget and payroll documents online so residents, watchdogs and anyone with a spreadsheet can dig into the numbers behind those totals.
What the payroll files show
An analysis of payroll records by The Oregonian/OregonLive found that more than 60 Washington County employees earned over $200,000 in 2025 and that overtime for the year came to about $9.8 million. The outlet reported County Administrator Tanya Ange at about $317,000 and flagged several sheriff’s office employees — including David Huey, Matthew Cunningham, Theresa Fichter, Eamon O’Reilly and Cheryl Crecelius — among the top earners.
The same reporting noted county officials’ estimate that a proposed PERS “pickup” will cost roughly $6.3 million in 2025-26. In a statement quoted by the paper, the sheriff’s office said that “when staffing falls below those levels, jail deputies are required to work mandatory overtime to maintain safe and functional operations.”
Pension pickup and budget pressure
County budget documents outline a plan to phase in a 6% PERS pickup for employees who do not already receive it, describing a strategy that uses projected cost-of-living adjustments and other fund resources to ease the change, according to the Washington County budget Q&A. County leaders say the move is meant to boost employee retention while spreading employer costs over multiple years, and the materials spell out the limits that Oregon law places on the change.
Why public safety matters here
A big share of the extra pay highlighted in the payroll review is clustered in public safety. The sheriff’s office has long driven a large portion of Washington County’s overtime and personnel spending, which helps explain why staffing levels, mandatory overtime and levy funding keep surfacing as flashpoints in recent budget talks.
Budget outlook and next steps
The proposed county budget for 2025-26 clocks in at about $2.2 billion, and administrators say overall spending will rise by less than 2% as they juggle pension changes, service demands and shifting property-value revenues. The full budget documents are posted online, and county officials plan to take public comment before the Board of County Commissioners adopts a final plan this summer.
For westside residents wondering where their local government payroll dollars go, this snapshot lays out the stakes in black and white and is almost certain to fuel the debate at upcoming budget hearings and commission meetings.
