Washington County begins budget season: commissioners set outreach timeline, ask for multi‑year framing

Washington County staff presented an updated budget timeline and communications plan at the Jan. 6 roundtable as the county begins preparation for a proposed budget the county plans to release April 28.

John Steyer, interim chief financial officer, told commissioners the county initiated recruitment for budget committee vacancies and proposed an informational/budget orientation session for the committee in mid‑March. “We have 2 vacancies on each of the committees,” Steyer said, and staff will reach out to returning members to confirm continued service.

Communications Officer Philip Bransford outlined outreach steps: internal employee briefings, mayor and city council information sessions, and public town halls timed to the budget committee work. Commissioners asked staff to hold a mayor/city council information session shortly after the budget‑committee orientation so municipal leaders can provide timely input before the proposed budget is finalized. Commissioners asked that the county make materials and FAQ/Q&A easy to search, and asked that answers to questions show which edition of the Q&A they reflect so reviewers can see updates over time.

On the substance of the budget, county staff said departments are preparing options for the board under the scenarios the commission requested in prior sessions: reductions of roughly 10%, 13% and 17% (scenarios were described in the meeting as planning targets the CAO and departments are using to surface program and personnel implications). Angie reiterated the administrative requirement to propose a balanced budget and said the exercise will include evaluating mandated services, possible service reductions, and potential revenue alternatives. “It is the responsibility of me as County administrator and budget officer to produce a balanced proposed budget,” Angie said.

Commissioners asked staff to provide longer‑term fiscal context rather than only a one‑year package. Several commissioners asked that scenario planning include multi‑year projections (two‑ to three‑year views) so the board can understand whether decisions made in the coming months create recurring savings or merely postpone future shortfalls. Staff said they are building those models and will present further detail at upcoming roundtables and work sessions.

Why it matters: The county faces a projected shortfall and commissioners signaled they want both community outreach and a clearer long‑range fiscal picture. The outreach plan will include mayor/city council briefings, employee communications, public town halls and a FAQ/Q&A page timed to the proposed budget release and budget‑committee schedule.

What’s next: Staff will return dates and details for a mayor/city briefing to be held soon after the March 18 budget committee orientation (staff and commissioners discussed March 18 as a planning anchor but noted scheduling conflicts that week). The proposed budget release is April 28; commissioners and staff discussed a possible community town hall in mid‑May before the budget committee meets to vote on recommendations and before the board adopts the budget in June. Staff also committed to posting FAQ/Q&A updates and marking which iteration contains each answer so reviewers can track changes.

Ending: Commissioners emphasized clarity in outreach and the need for multi‑year fiscal projections; staff said it will adjust the communications schedule as needed and return to the board for any policy directions required to implement service changes.