Committee advances biennial budget code change, approves fund transfers, accepts grant reconciliation and seeks cancellation of old personal-property taxes

The Snohomish County Finance, Budget & Administration Committee on Feb. 25 moved an ordinance updating county budget procedures to the March 12 administrative agenda, directed a clerical correction and transfer to cover 2024 collective bargaining costs, forwarded the county—s 2024 grant work plan reconciliation report for consideration, and advanced a motion asking the council to cancel uncollectible personal property taxes.

The ordinance, listed as Ordinance 25-009, would amend chapter 4.26 of the Snohomish County Code to reflect the county—s switch from an annual to a biennial budgeting process. For the record, Jim Martin, council staff, described the ordinance and the subcommittee work: "As part of the switch to biennial budgeting, the bud biennial budget work group formed a subcommittee to look at code changes that would be necessary to update code to reflect biennial budgeting instead of annual budgeting." Martin said the subcommittee "reviewed areas of code where references were made to annual budget requirements" and that this ordinance represents what he described as "the and hopefully final batch for code changes determined to be necessary by the subcommittee." The committee asked that the ordinance be scheduled for the March 12 General Legislative Session (GLS) to set a time and date for a public hearing.

On a separate item, Proposed Motion 25-51110 would transfer $9,771,702 from the general fund non-departmental salary contingency to various offices and departments to cover cost-of-living adjustments agreed in 2024 collective bargaining agreements. Jim Martin noted the recital in the motion contained an incorrect total and asked the council to direct clerks to correct the figure to $9,771,702 before it proceeds. Councilmember Lehi said, "I can still go on consent with the corrections." The committee moved the item to the consent agenda for consideration on Feb. 26.

Proposed Motion 25-0099 is the county executive—s 2024 grant work plan reconciliation report for the period Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024. The report covers previously approved grant work plans associated with the Department of Human Services, Emergency Management, Public Works, Surface Water Management, the Sheriff—s Office, Facilities Management and Superior Court. The committee forwarded the motion to the March 12 GLS for consideration.

Proposed Motion 25-0098 would cancel uncollectible personal property taxes and related late-filing penalties that remain on the county's books. The committee was asked to consider cancellation of $146,107.86 in 2020 and prior personal property taxes and $13,667.60 in late-filing penalties that the treasurer has deemed uncollectible, per state law procedures requiring the treasurer to file a list of four-year delinquent personal property taxes with the county legislative authority. The committee moved that item to the March 12 consent agenda.

No formal recorded votes on the substantive merits of these measures were taken during the committee meeting; in each case the committee directed that the item advance to either the consent agenda or GLS on the dates noted. The meeting recessed until the 11:00 a.m. committee hearing.

Questions and clarifications recorded in the meeting included the clerk being asked to correct the recital total on Motion 25-51110 to $9,771,702 and that the grant reconciliation report covers the departments listed above; no additional funding breakdowns or departmental-level program changes were specified in the committee discussion.