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County holds public hearing on quarterly budget amendments; sheriff body‑cam cost, grants and ferry expenses highlighted
Summary
Skagit County on April 14 held a public hearing on a quarterly budget amendment that included a $1 million general-fund adjustment for sheriff patrol body‑worn cameras, additional grant funding for public health, corrections to the County Road Fund, and ARPA/LATCF allocations.
Skagit County conducted a public hearing April 14 on a quarterly budget amendment that county staff said includes multiple adjustments across funds, including a $1 million amendment in the general fund for sheriff patrol body-worn cameras, grant-funded increases in public health, and adjustments in county road and ARPA-related funds.
The nut graf: Budget and Finance Director Tricia Lope explained the major items; the sheriff’s department requested a $1 million amendment to record the full cost of a five-year body-camera contract in 2025 because the State Auditor requires the full expense be recorded in the first year of purchase. A similar but smaller amendment for jail cameras was described.
Lope summarized other highlights: roughly $391,000 in grant funding arrived for public-health-related funds after budget adoption, prompting several amendments across public-health subfunds (substance use disorder, mental health, housing); staffing reallocations were made in the mental-health and developmental-disability fund after a program was discontinued and revenue ceased; and corrections were made to the County Road Fund to fix items that were duplicated or budgeted incorrectly.
Lope also described ferry and related capital costs: some ferry goods or services budgeted in 2024 rolled into 2025 because goods were not received in 2024; bids for a ferry haul-out came in higher than estimated and the department requested an additional $600.00 to cover the higher bid and replacements for two outdrives and a lost propeller, as stated in the amendment presentation. ARPA/LATCF funds also appeared in the amendment: staff said $1,700,000 was recorded in a fund (LATCF-like local assistance) and that $1,000,000 of that had been allocated to the County Road Fund to pay for an 11-culvert bundle project.
Lope said this was the third quarterly amendment processed under a revised approach: department heads presented their amendments in a prior work session to allow commissioner questions before the public hearing required by statute.
Public comment at the hearing was not recorded in the transcript excerpt. Commissioners did not take final action during the excerpted portion; the presentation proceeded to other agenda items (Arbor Day celebration) after the hearing remarks.
Ending: Staff noted the department heads had already explained individual amendment items in an earlier work session; this public hearing provided the formal record before any final action by the board.
