Clatsop County adopts 2025–26 budget, sets property tax rate; board approves ordinance, contracts and proclamations

Clatsop County commissioners on Thursday adopted the county’s fiscal-year 2025–26 budget, set the county permanent property tax rate at $1.5338 per $1,000 of assessed value and a separate $0.07 per $1,000 local option levy for the fairgrounds, and approved a bond levy of $1,605,426. The board approved the measures by voice vote; the motion passed with all members present voting “aye.”

The adopted budget and related votes followed a multi-week budget review and public hearings that focused on the county’s health and public-safety spending, the reorganization of public health into a broader health and human services function, and several special funds including housing assistance, opioid settlement money, and federal grants. County Manager Joe Gullen summarized the challenges facing local government, saying, “this is a difficult time for local governments, for state government because there's just so much uncertainty.”

Why it matters: the tax rate and budget set the county’s revenue path for the year and fund core services including public health, public safety and road maintenance amid uncertain state and federal funding. Staff and commissioners discussed the risk that some federal and state revenue streams could decline and described contingency plans in documents presented during the committee hearings.

What the budget and accompanying work plan include - Public health: the staff presentation listed a proposed total appropriation for public health of $9,500,000 and described a reorganization that converts the public health director role into a health and human services director to provide oversight across public health, juvenile…