Washington County holds budget-committee orientation, sets calendar and outlines steep cuts if revenues do not rebound

Chair Catherine Harrington opened a Washington County budget-committee orientation that County Administrator Tanya Angie and interim Chief Financial Officer John Steyer led, emphasizing Oregon budget law, the county’s calendar for the proposed budget and the scale of possible reductions if revenue shortfalls continue.

Angie told the group the county will deliver the proposed budget and a budget message on April 28, and she reviewed a schedule of committee meetings in May, including a consolidated session for all committees in mid‑ to late May. John Steyer walked members through the purposes of Oregon budget law and the required public process.

The orientation focused on context rather than detailed line‑by‑line proposals: county officials described the structure of funds (general, special revenue, internal service, capital project, debt service and trust/agency funds), recent bookkeeping changes preparing for a new enterprise resource planning system (Workday) and the county’s effort to produce clearer service‑level information for policy decisions. Angie said the county is working to simplify the chart of accounts before the new system goes live so the county can better calculate the true cost of services.

Officials explicitly warned committee members that the county faces multi‑year pressure on the general fund. Angie and staff presented reduction scenarios — including 10%, 13% and 17% versions — and told members a $20,500,000 reduction would amount to roughly a 10% cut to the general fund. Angie said departments had proposed difficult cuts and that "there is not 1 department that put forward a cut this year that said, ‘Hey, I think that I can take this cut and there not be an impact.’"

Steyer framed the budget as both a legal document and an opportunity for public engagement: "What’s exciting for me about the budget ... is an opportunity for public to have a voice in how we spend resources," he said. The presentation also included reminders about statutory requirements: officials cited the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS chapter 294) and Oregon Administrative Rules as the governing law for local budgeting and public notice.

The orientation covered taxes and levies. Staff described permanent ad valorem rates, local option levies (temporary by statute for operations and capital), and general obligation bonds, and said the county is preparing for the possibility of placing public safety and library local option levies before voters this year. Committee members asked about timelines for placing a new levy on the ballot; staff said they would share planning timelines and noted that preparing a new local option levy can take at least six months depending on scope.

On supplemental appropriations and changes after adoption, staff said the board can adopt emergency supplementals (for example, in response to wildfires or other emergencies) and that routine supplemental appropriations are used when actual revenues or needs change materially during the year. The county described the supplemental process and told members it would detail amendment procedures for committee consideration at later meetings.

Members raised procedural questions about communications and Open Meeting Law: staff advised that committee deliberations must occur in public sessions and said they would follow up with county counsel on permitted out‑of‑meeting interactions and an appropriate forum for committee members to post questions. The county also committed to posting the proposed budget, a reader’s guide, and answers to committee questions online so public commenters can follow the process.

Next steps: staff will deliver the proposed budget and budget message on April 28 and make the full proposed document available for study; the county will publish a schedule for specific presentations and deadlines for committee questions prior to the first budget committee hearings in May. Officials urged members to ask questions during the study period and said staff will log and publish answers for public access.