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Washington County asks departments for 10%, 13% and 17% cut scenarios as staff warns of $20M shortfall
Summary
At a Dec. 5 roundtable, Washington County commissioners reviewed the state economic forecast, updated fiscal assumptions, and directed departments to prepare 10%, 13% and 17% cut scenarios while protecting mandated services; staff added a communications strategy and a revised budget-document outline to the Jan. 9 agenda.
Washington County commissioners and county staff on Dec. 5 reviewed the state economic forecast, the county’s recent budget history and a set of proposed FY26 budget principles, then asked departments to prepare three budget-cut scenarios — 10%, 13% and 17% — to help produce a balanced proposed budget.
County staff told the board that the county faces a roughly $20 million gap in next year’s budget, explaining that about 48% of that gap stems from general cost escalation (largely personnel) and roughly 52% is related to the expiration of a SIP fee that will roll onto property tax rolls for other districts. Staff also updated a health-insurance assumption from 10% to 12.5%, a change staff said materially increased the gap and could translate to an anticipated 15% view for late next fiscal year during negotiations with carriers.
The board received a December Oregon revenue forecast presented by Interim CFO John Steyer, who said statewide biennium revenue estimates…
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