Washington County begins FY‑2026 budget planning as ERP transition and new financial policies loom

Washington County officials on Sept. 4 launched the county’s FY‑2026 budget process, telling the Board of County Commissioners that a major systems change and new financial policies will shape how the county prepares and presents next year’s budget.

The county’s finance team said the new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is scheduled to go live in January 2026 and will change back‑end workflows for budgeting, human resources and procurement. “It is that time of year. We go through this process,” Angie, a finance staff member, said during the roundtable, opening the county’s budget discussion.

The finance presentation described three specific near‑term changes for the board: a one‑time January supplemental to re‑adopt the budget under the new fund and program structure; continued refinements to the county’s publicly facing financial reports including the annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) and a “popular” financial report (PAFR); and the planned roll‑out of new formal financial policies aligned with Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) best practices. Staff said an investment policy is scheduled for board review in November 2025 and broader financial policy adoption will proceed as part of the annual budget cycle, with final adoption targeted in June 2026.

John Steyer, a finance staff member who will present the budget after‑action summary, said the budget office is building the outreach calendar for next year and carrying forward improvements suggested by the county’s budget committee and “lay” committee members. Staff stressed that members of the public who serve on advisory bodies found earlier information sessions and the budget materials helpful but asked for clearer orientation and more time for Q&A before final votes.

Staff also flagged the workload effects of system changes and personnel turnover. Angie and other presenters noted that key finance staff recently left for family reasons, including the controller and a lead ERP staffer, creating recruitment pressure during a time of heavy implementation work. “This is a challenging timeline,” Angie told commissioners, noting the county has budgeted contingency for ERP costs but still faces a training and utilization challenge across departments.

The presentation covered the supplemental budget cadence the board will use next year. Staff proposed a special January supplemental to adopt the budget under the new accounting structure, followed by a March supplemental and a June supplemental, which together will incorporate department requests, new grants and required adjustments before fiscal year end.

In discussing public engagement, commissioners and staff agreed to continue more proactive outreach to advisory and lay committee members, and to make orientation and amendment procedures clearer. Several board members said earlier budget work showed progress in transparency but asked that the budget committee and public have more time between presentations and final votes.

Staff said improvements to the budget book layout and communications planning are planned and pledged to deliver a draft budget calendar and more detailed roundtable materials in October. The finance team also said it will maintain the county’s commitment to timely audits and reporting while implementing the ERP and updating policies.

Ending: County staff emphasized the presentation was a kickoff: staff will return with a draft budget calendar, fiscal forecast inputs and more detailed proposals for the board’s review over the coming months.