MASON COUNTY, Wash. — The Mason County Board of Commissioners voted Sept. 16 to approve the county’s 2026 annual construction program and to adopt the six‑year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) covering 2026–2031, after public‑hearing presentations from Department of Public Works staff and comments from the county’s TIPCap committee.

David Smith of the Department of Public Works presented the annual construction program and the TIP, describing the first‑year projects and the fund sources the department uses to program work. Smith told the board the annual construction program is the first year of the six‑year TIP and outlined several funding sources mentioned in the presentation, including STP (Surface Transportation Program) federal funds, HSIP (Highway Safety Improvement Program) funds, the county road fund, bridge-related programs and county road improvement funds.

Smith highlighted project examples included in the annual element: the Bear Creek Duarte Road improvement project, programmatic bridge repairs and countywide small capital projects. The board held a brief public hearing; no members of the public testified on the item.

Will, a member of the TIPCap committee, said the committee reviewed the program, acknowledged fiscal constraints and recommended prioritizing projects funded solely with county funds for potential reductions to preserve projects with federal or state matching funds. "We feel very good," he said of the committee’s review, and urged that the board provide further guidance on future fiscal challenges.

A commissioner moved and a second was made to adopt the resolution approving the 2026 annual construction program and, separately, to adopt the resolution approving the six‑year TIP for 2026–2031. Both motions were approved by voice vote.

The TIP and annual construction program will guide county transportation construction and bridge work for the coming year and the multi‑year programming window and identify funding sources for projects in design and construction.