Thurston County commissioners voted Dec. 3 to place the 2026–27 biennial budget on the board’s Dec. 16 agenda for final adoption, after staff described edits and errata to operating and capital requests.

County Manager: “We’re staring at a deficit that was structural to the county,” the County Manager said, describing an initial package of reductions near 26% and a set of strategic decisions that reduced that figure to about 9.84% for the final proposal.

Why it matters: The board’s action sets a date for final adoption while staff continue refining amendments and working through data issues from a major financial system migration. Commissioners said they want the revised materials and any proposed amendments available before final vote.

What staff reported: Budget staff called out errata on operating and capital requests and said most items before the board were previously reviewed. Staff corrected an overstated reduction to the clerk’s office so that the clerk will not face a larger cut than the board earlier directed. The presentation recommended continuing $53,000 in ongoing funding to cover assessor mailing costs; the assessor’s office volunteered a potential $136,000 general fund reduction that staff said could net an $83,000 difference if fully realized and detailed.

On TC Connect, staff acknowledged the county is in the first year of a multi-year financial system migration that has slowed some report generation and required manual verification. The County Manager said the underlying data are complete and can be verified despite report limitations.

Board action: An unidentified commissioner moved to place the budget on the Dec. 16 agenda for final adoption; the motion was seconded and carried on an audible vote of board members present (multiple “aye” responses and one “nay” were recorded on the public audio). The board will consider final adoption at the Dec. 16 meeting and will receive levy certifications on Dec. 9.

What’s next: Staff said they will bring any confirmed amendments back to the board once details are finalized. The board’s Dec. 16 meeting is scheduled to include final adoption of the biennial budget.