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Washington County pauses signing federal grants while board works on revised equity resolution
Summary
On June 24 the Washington County Board of Commissioners read a board statement saying it has paused signing federal grants and contracts while staff and a retained consultant develop a replacement equity resolution; the board scheduled a proposed resolution for July 22.
Washington County commissioners on June 24 announced they have paused signing federal grants and contracts while the board, county staff and a retained consultant develop a revised equity resolution and related processes.
The board’s statement, read for the record at the work session, said: “Until we have this in place, we have paused the signing of all federal grants and contracts.” The statement said the county receives about $135,000,000 annually in federal funding to serve vulnerable communities and that the board expects to bring a proposed resolution to the full Board of Commissioners on July 22, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.
Why it matters: the pause affects any federal agreements that require county signing and signals the board’s intention to craft a replacement process before accepting new federal grant conditions. Commissioners and administrators said the pause is temporary and intended to allow development of an inclusive process.
Details and next steps - County Administrator’s office has retained Espusal Strategies, led by CEO Jonelle Bell, to work with the board, staff and community over the coming weeks on a path forward, including drafting a proposed resolution. County staff said Espusal previously helped draft the county’s equity resolution and will assist with federal compliance work during the five-week engagement. - The board scheduled the proposed resolution for the July 22, 2025, board meeting at 6:30 p.m., at which the board expects to consider a formal replacement process.
Public comment and meeting procedure Commissioners spent part of the work session setting public-comment procedures for the evening meeting. Clerk Moss summarized the approach he would use: the 21 people who had already signed up would be taken, with no additional sign-ups accepted, and the county would maintain limits on testimony during the evening’s agenda. Commissioners discussed several alternatives, urged consolidation of repeated messages, and preserved three previously requested five-minute slots at the end of the meeting. The clerk’s summary was read into the record as the operational plan for public comment at tonight’s meeting.
Related, brief items - The draft letter of support for a TB Highway federal grant was approved by board consensus earlier in the session.
What officials said The board statement was read into the record by the vice chair (name not specified in the transcript) as a board statement. County Administrator Tanya (first name used in the meeting) described the Espusal engagement and its immediate objectives. Clerk Moss summarized the public-comment logistics for the evening.
Outlook County staff said they will publish updates on the process in the weeks ahead and will bring the proposed replacement resolution to the July 22 board meeting for formal consideration.
