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Thurston County preliminarily approves adjustments in general-government budget as officials warn of staffing and postage risks
Summary
At a reconvened public hearing, Thurston County commissioners preliminarily approved several general-government budget adjustments for the 2026–27 biennium while department heads warned that staffing shortages and postage volatility could disrupt services and require supplemental funding.
Thurston County reconvened a public hearing at 11:15 a.m. to take comment on the county’s 2026–27 biennial general government budget, focusing on the assessor, auditor, commissioners' office, treasurer, human resources, central services and information technology.
Summer Miller, the county’s budget and fiscal manager, presented the preliminarily approved items and noted a general-fund reduction notation that appears across several department submissions even when individual offices did not see cuts. "We are currently researching professional service budget amounts that were added in fiscal year 2025," Miller said, reporting that the assessor requested a review of mailing-service and related costs.
Miller listed preliminarily approved requests and adjustments that the board will consider in adoption, including extending the end date for ARPA-funded positions, real estate excise tax funding for parks and trails capital, adjustments tied to a 2016 bond repayment and other general-fund reductions. She also noted a preliminarily approved request in IT for TC Connect stabilization costs.
Department leaders who testified during the hearing praised commissioners’ efforts to restore funds in some areas but warned of operational limits. The assessor’s office said the budget currently reflects 32 FTEs while the office has 31 and asked that a previously approved $53,000 annual mailing request be included in the final adopted budget. The treasurer’s office said it was spared cuts but identified postage rate volatility as its biggest budget risk. The auditor’s office said it did not receive a postage increase request but warned that mandated ballot mailings to roughly 220,000 registered voters and the possibility of recounts create exposure that could force a supplemental budget request.
Public commenters pressed the board on budget accuracy and internal-service charges, with one asking whether internal-service payments and negative fund appearances in some internal-service budgets had been fully explained. Commissioner responses at the hearing included notes that some restorations occurred after board deliberations earlier in the process and that broad "general fund reduction" notations sometimes reflect submission status rather than final cuts.
The board recessed the hearing at 11:48 a.m. and scheduled further sessions for community planning, economic development and public works at 1:30 p.m., with a 4:00 p.m. catchall for anyone unable to comment earlier.
