Morrow County commissioners on Wednesday directed staff to verify charges listed on a Community Development Agency (CDA) invoice and prepare budget adjustments to accommodate payment after learning the bill exceeded the county’s budget.

County staff reported receiving an invoice that included a quarterly administrative charge of $54,363.35 and additional charges that, when combined, produced a Morrow County share of $121,746.22. "On the invoice that's been submitted was the one-fifth share of the budget for the current fiscal year ... and I know what's attributed to Morrow County is in excess of that," said Jeff, a county staff member who reviewed the paperwork. He identified the county’s portion of a prior federal grant match as $22,431.26 and said about $44,000 appeared to be the county’s share of incurred legal expenses.

Staff told the board the invoice exceeded the amount budgeted and that the county would need a budget adjustment before payment could be made. "This invoice is above what our anticipated budget was and incorporates other expenses that weren't originally incorporated in the budget," a finance staff member told the commission.

Commissioners pressed for detail about the legal expenses, which staff said were likely related to litigation involving Umatilla County and the CDA. One commissioner said the county had previously been clear it did not want to pay for costs tied to Umatilla County’s lawsuit. "We didn't want to pay for Umatilla's suing of Umatilla," the commissioner said, arguing for excluding legal expenses from any immediate approval.

Jeff and other staff said the Port of Umatilla has discussed covering some of the county’s share because the property at issue will eventually transfer to the port, but that the port had not made a formal decision. The board agreed it was reasonable to pay the roughly $22,431.26 grant match but wanted clarification before approving other charges.

To move the issue forward, the commission voted to direct the finance director to verify the amounts owed for CDA operations and prepare necessary budget adjustments to accommodate payment of those amounts through the 2026 budget year. The motion passed on a voice vote.

The board did not approve immediate payment; staff will return with the verified amounts and proposed budget changes for final approval.