Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget And Capital Spending topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners set public hearing on third-quarter budget amendment that reallocates funds for Hall of Justice work, buys Riverside office for public defender
Summary
Cowlitz County staff delivered a third-quarter budget amendment that adjusts revenues and expenses across multiple funds, proposes a $2 million transfer for Hall of Justice improvements and sets aside roughly $905,000 to buy two Riverside office units for the public defender; commissioners scheduled a public hearing.
The Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on a third-quarter budget amendment that increases estimated revenues, adjusts multiple department budgets and reassigns funds for facility work at the Hall of Justice and for acquiring office space for the public defender.
Kathy Funk Baxter, finance director, introduced the amendment: "So this is our, third quarter budget amendment. This will be an agenda item for tomorrow. It's a public hearing." The amendment combines revenue updates across property-tax and other lines with expense changes and transfers.
The amendment would add roughly $1.2 million in general-fund revenue estimates and set aside about $905,000 to purchase two Riverside office units intended for the office of the public defender. The county also proposes a $2,000,000 transfer from the Law and Justice fund to the capital improvement program to pay electrical and HVAC work at the Hall of Justice; staff said total Hall of Justice expenditures for the year are expected to reach about $6.5 million, with additional project spending anticipated next year.
Kathy Funk Baxter told the commission the county is also covering unanticipated personnel payouts: "we had 2 major payouts, and so we're just anticipating what we need for the remainder of the year" to cover vacation and sick leave obligations that fell into 2025.
Staff presented line-item changes across road, IT, veterans relief, opioid settlement receipts and other funds; Public Works will move some capital projects to next year, and IT requested roughly $708,000 for planned hardware and software replacements.
The board scheduled the public hearing for the amendment on the next regular meeting agenda; commissioners did not take an immediate vote during the discussion.
If approved after the hearing and subsequent action, the amendment would increase the county's reported ending general-fund balance and authorize the transfers and purchases described above.
