Representatives from the Washington State Association of Counties (WASAC) visited the county on Monday to brief the Board of Commissioners on organizational initiatives and statewide issues, including a new “Solution Center” of negotiated vendor services, efforts to establish a county health trust for employee benefits, active litigation over public-defense funding and rising county liability concerns.

Derek Yen, WASAC executive director, and Rob Kaufman, WASAC president and a Lincoln County commissioner, outlined the association’s strategy to expand member services while seeking alternative revenue models so dues can be reduced. Yen said the Solution Center will pair counties with pre-vetted vendors and negotiated contracts for areas such as pharmacy benefits, cash-management tools and cybersecurity services. The initiative is intended to provide cost savings and wider access for counties of all sizes.

A central topic was WASAC’s push to form a county health trust for employee medical benefits. Yen said bids are being solicited and the association hopes to offer a county-priced benefit that smaller counties could join voluntarily. Commissioners expressed interest and noted the county’s long-term concern about rising benefits and health-care costs.

WASAC also briefed the board on ongoing legal and policy work: the association is pursuing arguments in a public-defense funding lawsuit (seeking to clarify how much the state must fund constitutionally required public defense), advocating for county fiscal relief and tracking growing liability exposure from recent large claims and settlements. Yen and Kaufman said they are coordinating with county risk pools and legal counsel to collect data and press for statutory or budgetary remedies.

Commissioners thanked the WASAC representatives and encouraged continued outreach on the health-trust proposal and liability data collection; no board action was required.