The Cowlitz County Noxious Weed Control Board told commissioners at the budget workshop that it plans to hold the existing assessment rate for 2026 but expects to evaluate a possible increase in 2027 because of rising interfund costs such as rent and IT allocations.

The board described its funding structure and program operations: the current assessment is $8 per parcel and $0.30 per acre, with forest parcels assessed at one-tenth of that rate under state law. The assessment last changed in 2023, the coordinator said. For 2026 the board projects approximately $461,000 from assessments and about $66,000 in grant revenue, for roughly $532,000 in operating revenue.

Why it matters: The assessment covers services countywide (with statutory exceptions for tax-title and federal lands) and funds education, technical assistance and enforcement under state noxious-weed laws (RCW 17.10). An assessment change would affect property owners across the county and the weed-control program’s ability to sustain operations and grant-backed seasonal crews.

The weed coordinator said the board’s available fund balance is in the mid-hundreds of thousands and that the board maintains a vehicle-reserve fund (about $50,000) to replace vehicles on a scheduled basis; one vehicle replacement is anticipated in 2027. The coordinator also projected an ending fund balance of about $239,000 in 2026 that could fall to roughly $59,000 in 2027 absent underspent funds; the board estimated an historical unspent rate of roughly 10% that would likely increase the projected 2027 balance.

The presentation flagged an increase in interfund charges that the weed board cannot control: cost allocations for rent and county services rose materially, with rent cited as a primary driver (rent rising from about $4,000 per year to more than $16,000 per year for the program). The coordinator said those dynamics are a principal reason the board will evaluate a possible assessment adjustment next year.

The coordinator described program staffing and work: 4.75 FTE including two full-time inspectors, an office assistant and a seasonal specialist; during peak months a seasonal crew is hired through Employers Overload and reimbursed through grants. Program benefits named were protecting agriculture, reducing toxic plants, improving recreation and providing technical assistance to landowners.

Commissioners and the coordinator discussed which properties are assessed — the coordinator said assessments include county, city and state properties but exclude federal lands — and options for cities to adopt complementary vegetation codes. No formal action was taken during the presentation.

The coordinator closed by noting the board will return to the assessment question during next year’s budget process.