Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-29 All-Day Budget MeetingsAll-Day Budget Meetings September 29, 2026 9:04 a.m. Present: Commissioner Pollock, Commissioner Brummer, Commissioner Swope, County Manager Ryan Barrett, Budget / Risk Director Becky Butler, Undersheriff Kevin Engelbertson, Chief Chris Sweet, Chief Rick Van Wyck, Chief Chris Tawes, County Engineer Wes Anderson, Grace Jimenez, Graham Gowing, Heather Rodriguez, Rudy Rodriguez, Geoff Soderquist, Meja Handlen, Kendra Garrison Citizens Budget Committee members: Usha Sahadeva-Brooks, Michael Blessing, Kim Buechel (9:26 a.m.) Guest(s): Tracy Murphy, Sherri Murphy, Mike Hadaller, Jacob Moore Recorder: Rieva Lester Public comment: None. Sheriff’s Office / Jail (9:04 a.m. start time) Elected / Director and representatives present: Undersheriff Kevin Engelbertson, Chief Chris Sweet, Chief Rick Van Wyck, Captain Chris Tawes, Sheriff Rob Snaza (remote) Sheriff’s Office representatives reviewed the office’s two funding requests: • Jail: $171,724 to cover jail medical coverage for prisoners, with the total amount reflecting a nearly $85,000 increase to the Correctional Healthcare Partners (CHP) contract as well as other increased jail medical costs. • Patrol: $427,334 to retain two Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (SET) Deputy positions. The two positions had been funded through the patrol budget. In 2025 and 2026, the county used opioid settlement funds to cover the positions. Becky said opioid funding is expected to total $250,000 per year. Three vacancies in jail: One lieutenant and three corrections deputies. The commissioners discussed the Roads transfer, which transfers funds from the roads property tax to cover roads policing as outlined in state law. Staff noted that the practice has been in place since at least 1995 and that the funding helps cover five or six deputy positions. At 9:41 a.m., Commissioner Pollock announced the BOCC would recess until 9:50 a.m. At 9:51 a.m., Commissioner Pollock extended recess to 9:55 a.m. The meeting resumed at 9:55 a.m. Public Health and Social Services / Foundation of Public Health (9:55 a.m. start time) Elected / Director and representatives present: Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) Director Meja Handlen, PHSS Business and Office Manager Kendra Garrison Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) Director Meja Handlen provided an overview of the work her department oversees: • Administers 77 programs across 15 service sectors, including core public health, environmental health, WIC, social services, veterans’ services, code compliance, emergency preparedness, vital records and Animal Shelter operations • 2027 budget is designed to maintain current service levels, matching costs to the revenue source that can legally and reasonably support them while also limiting avoidable pressure on the General Fund • The department-wide presentation shows approximately $13.59 million in revenue, $10.92 million in expenses and a $2.67 million overall balance. That balance is not unrestricted cash; much of it is tied to specific programs, grants or fees or is dedicated to specific purposes. At 11:05 a.m., Commissioner Pollock announced the BOCC would recess until 11:30 a.m. District Court (11:30 a.m. start time) Elected / Director and representatives present: District Court Judge RW Buzzard, Court Administrator Monique Shedd Details: District Court Judge RW Buzzard said District Court needs $74,256 to reinstate a position that was frozen due to the 2025 budget reductions. Judge Buzzard said District Court is at a point where it must demand additional funding to cover its statutory requirement and that the Board of County Commissioners is required by law to fully fund the judicial office. He said filings continue to increase while staffing has declined. Judge Buzzard said staffing is at 13.5 FTEs, with two employees out on Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). He said the staffing is not adequate to cover the 25,000 court filings being processed. He noted that half of the revenues District Court collects is funneled to Olympia, further exacerbating the situation. At 12:01 p.m., Commissioner Pollock announced the BOCC would recess until 1:30 p.m. Capital Infrastructure (1:30 p.m. start time) Elected / Director and representatives present: Capital Infrastructure Specialist Matt Patana, Budget Analyst III Rudy Rodriguez Capital Infrastructure Specialist Matt Patana provided an overview of his department’s projects, including • 4-H Barn renovation • Law and Justice energy audit • Homeless shelter • Fair water main • Drug Court house • Central Shop flooring • IT server room • IT fiber upgrade • Fair grandstands At 2:20 p.m., Commissioner Pollock announced the BOCC would recess until 2:30 p.m. Department of Emergency Management (2:31 p.m. start time) Elected / Director and representatives present: Department of Emergency Management Deputy Director Erika Katt, Administrative Assistant Jessica Davis Department of Emergency Management Deputy Director Erika Katt provided an overview of her department’s work. She said DEM responded to multiple events in 2026, including: • Flooding • The Nippon Dynawave tragedy in Longview • World Cup visitors • Wildfires Erika reviewed the fees charged to area cities for county representation, noting that the proposed rate for 2027 is $6.68 per person. She also reviewed grant funding DEM has secured, including $1.5 million to address river debris caused by the 2025 winter floods. Meeting adjourned at 2:58 p.m.