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Snohomish County committee advances transfer of contingency funds to cover COLA increases
Summary
The Budget, Finance and Administration Committee voted to forward Motion 25-216, which would transfer contingency funds from non‑departmental accounts to departments in the General Fund to cover cost‑of‑living adjustments for bargaining units, to the May 21 consent agenda for full council consideration.
The Snohomish County Council Budget, Finance and Administration Committee on May 13 moved to forward a proposal to transfer contingency funds to county departments to cover cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLAs) for general fund bargaining units.
Committee members advanced Motion 25‑216 to the full council’s Consent Agenda for May 21. Jim Martin, council staff, described the motion as approving “the transfer of budgeted contingency funds from non‑departmental to county offices and departments within General Fund 002,” and said the contingency had been set aside during adoption of the 2025‑2026 biennial budget for COLA increases.
The motion would distribute a proportional share of that contingency to impacted departments across the general fund. Martin said the transfer represents COLAs “for all the different bargaining units in the general fund throughout the county.”
Committee Chair Dunne asked whether the sheriff’s office had been affected by an earlier amendment; a committee member clarified an earlier budget amendment had shifted some dollars from the sheriff’s department but “wasn’t inclusive of the full cost.” Martin confirmed the motion covers a different, broader amount. He also said a portion of the contingency remains that could be rolled into 2026 if the council decides to do so.
No formal vote on the transfer was taken at the committee; the committee’s action was to put the item on the May 21 Consent Agenda for the full council. The committee did not request additional materials or amendments at the hearing.
The council staff identified the 2025‑2026 biennial budget as the source of the contingency and tied the transfer to personnel cost contingency set aside for COLAs. Further details on departmental allocations and any associated ordinance language will be available if or when the item is considered by the full council on May 21.
