[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6210070,"mediaKeyId","3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2","parentId",3726809,"title","County finance warns of multiyear commitments: collective bargaining, insurance and behavioral-health costs to shape 2026–27 budget","audioSeconds",346,"startMs",2177670,"endMs",2524330,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2&start=2177&end=2524","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2/thumbnail_2177670.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6210070/Cowlitz-County/Washington/County-finance-warns-of-multiyear-commitments-collective-bargaining-insurance-and-behavioral-health-costs-to-shape-202627-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210070-ca32a170c5157cc3e0e2aeaea2a16ca2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775617207&Signature=ZcKK-ibXloF6piRikXKKKEeh5fphPhqepbReC3dCvbc~SpkZx2E66ATjNbgG51xzDHV9yvFCVQnwBOuCVa6kghwJNwPuzE5LL8Cy-2Sy3bDpZldyaurrSWGOqksQ5LaFQ63aYGKKYBZTrfm4qjPnkB8p33hOU6P8J5ylaQjIEOxYpceQEuyJF16e7TxQuYZUwxp0AdFGoHcaKUI0LVAIbuWSQDt9qDpMI6aQUozYEZHSIb61vddxE9oAqc8rj~czRQnzzGU2YtS7SnxZqiGSfecK372hQ7R8lCfAHSo7cJpP8M-dLH7zYaSU6octgtL7j32H1s2Y~xEoqRTCcXNu4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cowlitz County Commissioners, Washington","date","2025-06-09T21:14:01.297Z","article","Cowlitz County finance staff warned the Board that existing contract commitments and program expenditures will shape the 2026–27 budget and that several items will require board decisions in the upcoming budget cycle.

Kathy Funk Baxter, finance director, presented preliminary estimates for new and continuing commitments. For collective bargaining agreements and step increases she estimated \"about 600,000\" in projected commitments and an additional $200,000 for step increases for nonunion positions. Baxter said medical-insurance contribution increases are built into contracts and projected at about $300,000 for general-fund employees.

Baxter also reported a sizable reduction in employer retirement contributions driven by state action: the county’s employer rate is falling from about 9.11% to about 5.5%, which she estimated will yield roughly $800,000 in savings.

On liability and insurance assessments, Baxter said the county’s risk pool expects a roughly 25% increase in general-liability assessments; she estimated the general-fund portion for that increase would be about $300,000–$325,000. \"So right now, I'm looking at, at a minimum, probably $625,000 of new commitments that I'll have to build into the 2026 budget,\" she said.

Baxter also discussed the behavioral mental-health tax fund, which finances multiple programs. She said the fund’s expenditures run \"about those expenditures on that fund are 2 point almost $3,000,000\" and that the largest single item is about $1.3 million paid to the jail for two officers and related services. Baxter said drug court costs are about $629,000 and that the county’s grant-funded MAP program is a major line item. She said the fund has a reserve and that she expects about $2.5 million will remain at year-end — \"almost enough for all of '26, almost, but not quite.\"

Baxter said an anticipated Office of the Public Defender change is \"unknown right now\" and may be delayed beyond the next budget cycle; she said she would follow up with more information.

Ending: Finance staff asked commissioners to consider these commitments in upcoming budget planning and scheduled a dedicated workshop on the behavioral mental-health tax to gather public input prior to decisions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Monday Business Meeting - 06.09.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Cowlitz County finance staff warned the Board that existing contract commitments and program expenditures will shape the 2026–27 budget and that several items will require board decisions in the upcoming budget cycle.","taxTitle","Cowlitz County, Washington","taxId",5122,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6210075,"Commissioners press for openness after proposal for behind-closed-doors budget workshops",403,1198120,1601460,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2&start=1198&end=1601","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2/thumbnail_1198120.jpg","/articles/6210075/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Commissioners-press-for-openness-after-proposal-for-behind-closed-doors-budget-workshops","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210075-1e398cd5dbcf1dbb97eb8e420243bc20/orig.mp4?Expires=1775617207&Signature=kEVF04WryERdAhbiHVW60OzaYiu0t8fwNEkUFxq7-zX8vNngeH6oRYC5W4Q0GZfeh7gsdmorF2RyEnZWb6o3pzafDgUy3g-jwGI~jANsHFGt-EYLyTmCmmBYiQ0kg-C2g~oKV33-s452bIiUVpJiu9qlWbHrMCzjnuBa4tN7StUHZ3bSY2er-Ur~UsIS1FyINlmfRurBiIT9-RtXB8UlrbIsPDXxboD5gGeeiohkRWKK96toB0N3p4s2QZv1IqEaxkQGVl-19JFK4sG1q~mVPxW-exra0kiCpfr4p6f8B1qdgu28cp3KkmYKjb6q5LbcSISXHJgOtX8SHfNbyaDUMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A proposal to hold a pre-retreat budget workshop outside the public forum prompted several commissioners to press county staff for transparency and for a public list of participants.

One commissioner said he viewed county finances \"through the taxpayer\" lens and questioned why staff would hold a workshop \"behind closed doors\" when county funds are at stake. He said he learned about a separate closure of the BOCC on June 16–17 only \"as I'm walking out the door\" and asked whether any public services or offices would be closed on those dates.

Kathy Funk Baxter, finance director, replied that the regular budget calendar remains intact and that the county will hold public workshops in September and October when departments will present budgets. \"We'll still have discussions in workshops. We actually have, for example, 1 workshop dedicated to the mental behavioral health mental health tax,\" she said, and added that ideas from the retreat would be presented to the full board in public workshops.

A commissioner who said he initiated the idea of holding workshops behind closed doors acknowledged the lack of clarity and apologized for the miscommunication, saying the intent was to prepare material before the public retreat. \"Now that I understand after talking with Kelly what needs to happen, and the process that it needs to take place, I will be more proactive with that in the future so that there is no misunderstanding or, unclear, intentions,\" he said.

Commissioners asked staff to provide lists of departments and participants for the June 23 placeholder workshop and for the June 16–17 dates. The clerk of the board or county staff confirmed the June 23 afternoon placeholder is in the Government Meeting Room and intended for department heads and elected officials; attendance is voluntary.

Ending: Commissioners agreed the budget-preparation work should be transparent, requested participant lists for the scheduled workshops, and directed staff to ensure public notification and to present any retreat outcomes in public workshops.","A commissioner objected to proposed closed-door pre-retreat workshops; finance staff said ideas developed there would be presented publicly during the normal budget workshop season and that department-level budget workshops remain public and scheduled in September–October.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6210080,"Cowlitz County capital-improvements fund buoyed by one-time REIT payments; major CIP spending expected later this year",488,563795,1052490,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2&start=563&end=1052","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2/thumbnail_563795.jpg","/articles/6210080/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Cowlitz-County-capital-improvements-fund-buoyed-by-one-time-REIT-payments-major-CIP-spending-expected-later-this-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210080-74dc42dec96961f4efbe7561c80f16f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775617207&Signature=RL1bSAxtu45kTRlzWyyPiBQXdUI~~TDsKANelrjcHgtBl6~awKSeI2JPfPcdmjRltPWjkfCvUu5q5qHG--0CicJyK2GJ8TAE1V609uka3LsUbgsdW7brLsU~Ic3g5GGnD-E2b6aVXFPgvrb7TJkd8B4y053v6z2fl3ZSPzHt1Hexs7K3Vjy6tRgN7ly1Or3qXRX9Ny93ZqdPrMct7eGFR6P08invgl0M7SEmxCw3f-X9zevfz3te3N4qJTZhZifnQbEgPYhwfi01N7P7jAi3jiNnPdCQT~h7-kOTjlxcoB42PTTXX6Xx1-vPvNZJb-EvdUPxUq8prSvfye6N~EyU7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cowlitz County finance staff told the Board that the capital improvements fund is on track but shows volatility from one-time real-estate related payments.

\"It has taxes that's budgeted at 1,025,000,\" Kathy Funk Baxter said, and noted actuals through the reporting period were $620,002.71. Baxter attributed April's higher-than-expected receipts to a WestRock ownership-transfer refund she described as a one-time bump: \"that alone contributed about $226,000 to the fund.\"

Finance staff showed earlier spikes linked to ownership changes — one roughly $287,000 and another about $98,000 in a previous year — and noted revenue peaked near $1.5 million in 2021 and fell to about $979,000 last year. Baxter described the revenue source as 0.25% on real estate transactions in Cowlitz County outside city jurisdictions.

On the expense side, Baxter said capital projects are largely planned later in the year: the county budgeted about $5.9 million for capital-related work and had expended $38,111 so far. She listed projects in the five-year plan that will drive near-term spending, including an administration roof replacement, parking-lot pavement, courtyard drainage work, sheriff's evidence storm improvements, inmate housing HVAC work and other maintenance items.

Baxter also said the county expects to use $1 million of ARPA funds this year on the courthouse project, and an annual transfer from the general fund provides the remaining project support. She said a $300,000 transfer primarily pays debt service on morgue equipment and building costs and that the equipment financing runs about 10 years while the building portion runs about 20 years.

Asked about project timing, Sean Reedy, Public Works, said public-works projects often require prevailing-wage affidavits and take longer to process through state systems, which delays payouts.

Ending: Staff said they will provide an updated five-year plan to the board soon; most large capital expenditures are expected later in the fiscal year.","Finance staff told commissioners the capital improvements fund showed one-time Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) windfalls tied to ownership transfers, while $5.9 million in capital projects are budgeted with most spending expected later in the year.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6210085,"Assessor, facilities and public-works budgets on track, commissioners told",3632,11920,3644770,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2&start=11&end=3644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3726809-89930c9765c624a026f0ff1899e36ae2/thumbnail_11920.jpg","/articles/6210085/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Assessor-facilities-and-public-works-budgets-on-track-commissioners-told","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6210085-5e5893e53df69ab35ed0a20967c5770b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775617208&Signature=aJ48mSLb94snWDp34HuQVu-irVx76Q3ehd2XJWSNxvnRWUdZcrMcGW7VAOLlO54~EE7VEM8K01wQKX6rwWgETh7QMBS2XdVPuSyhYOEJw3-XDkL1W9W00TA74bFNp94xKiKJBpEc-sqQptuwQg6eybui3g42usZJ-ww1s4TBGLjqfWNTETacU5OPIsb3Y-hZgMva2CdulghngKKHo32zfXwEZ5HePVs9FRlKIoq~-LVLLKem8E3BBaUZx8j3wxwS7g-8k5p7i0dxFu4Iph35H8RLzFbHYFAYf6mjzZuUM0auBTVa0QTaYAyVgy7Vsy5b-zgFLMMJykjFxOjb2vAIfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kathy Funk Baxter, Cowlitz County finance director, told the Board of County Commissioners that departmental budget reviews show generally expected spending patterns for the assessor’s office, facilities and public works.

Baxter said the assessor’s office \"have very little in the way of revenues, coming in,\" noting the office budgeted $24,050 for goods and services and had received $8,770 through May, mostly recording fees. \"A portion of the recording fee goes to their office and, their general funds,\" she said, and added personnel is the assessor’s largest expenditure: about $2,105,000 budgeted with $756,235 expended through May. \"They have 20 FTEs in their department, and they have no vacancies right now,\" Baxter said.

The facilities general fund, Baxter said, has one main revenue line — annual space billings — budgeted at $189,900 and not yet collected. On the expense side, Baxter said personnel is budgeted at $994,003.78 with $310,003.57 expended through May; she attributed below-target personnel spending to one open FTE and recent internal promotions.

Sean Reedy, Public Works, confirmed the facilities manager role had been filled and that the final facilities technician should be hired soon. Reedy also described the services budget (about $2,002,945) and noted internal service billing and custodial/utility contracts are paid early in the year: \"Of that expenditures, 719,000 is for internal service billings that were paid in January,\" he said, and property insurance assessments add roughly $400,000 to current-year expenses.

On the landfill electrical contract, Reedy said the county is completing retainage for Advanced Electrical Technologies for 2023–24 on-call work. He said the county spent about $53,000 on that contract in 2024 and described typical work as \"PLC replacements, transducers replacement on our leachate ponds, communications things.\"

Baxter and Reedy told commissioners they saw no unusual budget risks for these departments at this point.

The commissioners asked for additional clarifications: one commissioner asked whether front-loaded service payments were fixed costs; Baxter explained targets are computed on a straight 12-month basis and large service bills paid in January can make expenditures exceed the simple five-month target but will align over the full year.

Ending: The commissioners directed staff to continue monitoring these departmental funds and to report material changes at future budget reviews.","Finance Director Kathy Funk Baxter told the Board that the assessor, facilities and public-works budgets are generally on target through May, with one vacant facilities FTE and timing-driven service payments inflating early-year service spending.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County finance warns of multiyear commitments: collective bargaining, insurance and behavioral-health costs to shape 2026–27 budget

Commissioners press for openness after proposal for behind-closed-doors budget workshops

Cowlitz County capital-improvements fund buoyed by one-time REIT payments; major CIP spending expected later this year

Assessor, facilities and public-works budgets on track, commissioners told