Okanogan County commissioners revise key revenue assumptions as budget work continues

Okanogan County commissioners and finance staff on Wednesday revised revenue assumptions and line items in a working draft of the 2026 budget, agreeing to raise the county—s sales-and-use-tax projection and record several grant passthroughs while flagging unresolved accounting and coding issues.

County Treasurer Pam Johnson said staff had difficulty breaking down Department of Revenue remittances by city and unincorporated areas. "When I go into myDOR, I cannot tell," Johnson said, describing efforts to identify how much of a recent remittance came from unincorporated county residents.

County Auditor Carrie Hall described the methodology used to build beginning fund balances and defended staff estimates. "I based it on actuals from revenue from August through December, and then expenditures August through December, you know, because I had the cash on hand as of July," Hall said, explaining the five‑year averaging approach staff used to smooth volatile accounts.

Why it matters: the revisions change the county—s budget baseline and therefore the amount of contingency and carryover available for next year—s spending. Officials said they are trying to be cautious after recent years of unpredictable remittances and program changes, and they repeatedly emphasized the need for precise grant accounting and timely state remittance detail.

Major adjustments and agreements - Sales and use tax: After reviewing historic trends and recent monthly receipts, commissioners agreed to raise the county—s sales-and-use-tax estimate for the draft budget to 4.5% (from a higher draft target…