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Cowlitz County keeps membership dues in 2025 budget; commissioners say payments provide regional services
Summary
Finance Director Kathy Funk Baxter presented the county's 2025 membership dues package totaling about $263,000. The board approved processing the payments as budgeted after discussion of benefits, regional programs and whether statewide affiliate groups should consolidate.
Kathy Funk Baxter, Cowlitz County finance director, presented a breakdown of countywide membership dues that are primarily paid from the non-departmental general fund and asked the board to authorize processing payments that were included in the adopted budget. The total annual package Baxter presented adds up to about $263,000 and the board instructed staff to proceed with payments as budgeted.
Why it matters: the county's dues fund regional planning and advocacy functions, technical assistance and eligibility for federal and state programs that can deliver infrastructure, transportation and economic-development dollars back to the county and its cities.
Dues and major items: Baxter told the board the largest single membership is the regional Council of Governments (COG) at $173,247. That total includes roughly $111,000 in general dues, a one-time assessment of about $19,000, $20,000 for EDD (economic development district) support match and roughly $22,000 for the Metropolitan Planning Organization match. The Washington Association of Counties (WAC) membership was listed at $45,246 (general dues approx. $26,342). The Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) bill was presented as $20,469. The county’s membership to the Cowlitz Economic Development Council (CEDC) was shown as about $19,000. Smaller items included the Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce ($2,525) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) (roughly $2,109). “These add up to, $263,000 of dues,” Baxter said.
Board discussion and benefits: Bill Fasching, director of the Council of Governments, joined the meeting and explained some of the COG services and claimed ongoing savings to members through the COG’s medical rate stabilization pool. “Generally speaking…we've been about half of the increase in cost of insurance…as the national average,” Fasching said, describing the program's role in moderating healthcare cost increases for participants. Commissioners asked about how transportation and economic development dollars are routed; Fasching explained federal transportation and EDA funds are allocated through the COG or a designated regional broker and that the COG’s planning functions make some federal EDA economic development funds available.
Several commissioners and elected officials discussed whether the county receives commensurate value for the dues. One commissioner noted the county pays the largest share but that many direct program benefits—such as infrastructure investments—tend to flow to city jurisdictions where population and projects are concentrated. Commissioners also debated whether two affiliate organizations with overlapping roles (WACO and WAC/WASO-type entities) should consider greater coordination or merger to reduce duplicate costs; elected officials from county offices described WACO services for elected officers and said those services include legislative tracking, education and workshops that they find useful.
Board action: after discussion, the board agreed to retain the membership dues in the 2025 budget and to authorize payment as budgeted. Commissioners asked staff to continue reviewing value and suggested they would revisit organizational efficiencies—particularly the potential for more coordination between statewide affiliates—during the coming year.
Follow-up: county staff offered to provide additional briefings for commissioners who requested deeper detail on specific memberships and services. Fasching and the COG said they are available to meet with county officials to further explain programs and return specific data on cumulative benefits.
