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Thurston County commissioners seek joint budget session to align on possible levy lift and improve tracking of staff directions
Summary
Commissioners agreed to pursue a joint planning session with elected officials before Sept. 17 to build a shared understanding of budget pressures tied to a potential levy/levy lift and to consider formalizing directional requests to staff so actions are recorded consistently.
Thurston County commissioners said Tuesday they will pursue a joint planning session with elected officials before Sept. 17 to align on county budget pressure and to prepare for a possible levy/levy lift effort.
Commissioner Carolina Mejia proposed the session during the commissioners' regular check-in, saying a shared conversation among the board and other elected officials would help avoid fractured narratives and clarify the board’s direction ahead of formal budget hearings. Chair Ty Mentzer and other commissioners agreed the meeting should focus on broad context and strategy rather than detailed line-item cuts.
The board discussed using the session to develop a common understanding of revenue and expenditure challenges, and to decide whether to pursue a levy/levy lift request in 2026. Commissioners emphasized the conversation was intended to set context and not to replace later, detailed budget deliberations that department staff will present.
Several commissioners raised concerns about how direction is currently captured. Clerk Amy Davis and staff are working on improving meeting minutes and post-meeting documentation; commissioners asked that summaries of actions and informal directions be made more readily available so elected offices can accurately respond to constituent questions. The board discussed the option of adopting nonbinding resolutions or other formal memorials to make the board’s organizational direction explicit without creating ordinances or new rules.
No formal motion or vote on the levy/levy lift or on a specific documentation method occurred at the check-in; commissioners agreed only to pursue the planning session and to try to schedule it before Sept. 17. Commissioner Rachel Grant said she expects to miss part of the Sept. 17 session due to a tribal meeting invitation.
The county manager and clerk's office will coordinate schedules and provide the board a proposed agenda for the planning session. Commissioners said they want any resulting materials distributed to elected officials in advance so the Sept. 17 meeting can focus on strategy and shared context.
