Centralia approves Lewis County 911 interlocal agreement after recusal

The Centralia City Council voted May 13 to enter an interlocal agreement with Lewis County and other jurisdictions to create a seven-member governing board for Lewis County 911 services. The motion passed 6–0 after Deputy Mayor recused themself because of county employment supporting 911 IT services.

Chief Andy Caldwell told the council the new structure replaces a weak advisory committee and creates a board with voting authority for operations and budget matters; the agreement requires a two‑thirds vote to approve budgets, which Caldwell said protects partner cities from unanticipated cost shifts. He said the 911 center’s operating costs are about $3.7 million without equipment replacement and repair (ER&R); including ER&R the budget could rise toward $4.4–4.5 million in near-term projections. Caldwell said revenue from the newly approved 0.2% sales tax is expected to substantially cover user burdens going forward (SEG 2011–2016, SEG 2094–2107).

Elizabeth Cameron, President of Citizens for Lewis County 911, testified in support and cited language in the ballot RCW (referred to in the meeting as "RCW 82 14 4 20") that constrains the tax to emergency communications systems and facilities (SEG 2178–2190). She urged transparency and stakeholder oversight as funds are collected and spent.

Deputy Mayor announced the recusal before the vote because of employment with Lewis County IT that supports 911; the council then approved the interlocal agreement (motion recorded as passing 6–0). The agreement is intended to give Centralia and other partners a formal governance role and protections regarding billing and capital allocation.

What’s next: With council approval, staff will finalize signature and implementation steps; the city expects to receive updated budget and user-fee projections for the 2026 budget process.