Thurston County commissioners heard urgent warnings during a public hearing that proposed reductions in the law-and-justice portion of the county's 2026'27 biennial budget could force cuts to court and public-safety services and prompt legal challenges. Judges, the county clerk and the prosecutor's office told the board they face staffing shortfalls and program reductions if requested funding is not preserved.

The comments came at the hearing's law-and-justice segment, opened by Chair Ty Menzer at 10:05 a.m. Summer Miller, the county's budget and fiscal manager, summarized requests from the clerk, coroner, district and superior courts, the prosecuting attorney, the sheriff and public defense. Miller said the submissions include proposals to extend ARPA-funded positions, add limited FTEs for court services, shift a pathologist budget into autopsy funding and add prosecution support positions among other items.

Clerk Linda Meyer answered a public comment inquiry by saying her office is largely mandated by state law but that two areas are discretionary: domestic-violence victim support services and a facilitator program that helps litigants complete court paperwork. Meyer told the board her office currently has 42 full-time equivalent positions and said the proposed budget would provide fewer personnel in the next biennium; she said she has already reduced counter hours and could move to online-only services if funding is cut.

A superior-court representative said the court and juvenile services together total about 100 FTEs and described multiple denied requests for additional staff. The representative said the court requested $1.5 million for new positions but instead faces cuts and told the board, "So a total of $3,600,000 was cut," adding that the reductions would further underfund an area the board previously acknowledged was below minimal funding levels and could lead to lawsuits and reduced service.

Speaking on behalf of the prosecuting attorney (named in meeting materials as John Cheenheim), Chief of Staff Miss Peterson said the prosecutor's duties are mandatory and the office does not have excessive personnel. She said budget-reduction discussions earlier this year prompted the "resignation of 4 deputy prosecuting attorneys," and warned that continued cuts and differing caseload rules for public defense could lead to declines in felony filings if prosecution capacity falls.

Sheriff Derek Sanders said jail, patrol and civil functions are mandated and estimated the sheriff's office has roughly 285 FTEs. He told commissioners the public-safety sales tax has substantially improved staffing for the sheriff's office and said the department's personnel level will be higher under the proposed budget than before.

Public commenters and program participants urged the board to preserve discretionary services tied to public safety and rehabilitation. Scott Harridge, a physician, and Megan Wells, president of the Strophy Foundation and a 2019 DUI drug-court graduate, asked commissioners to sustain the DUI/drug court programs and supports for victims of domestic violence, citing positive outcomes and county population growth projections.

The hearing continued with departmental responses and clarifications; Chair Menzer recessed the session at 10:45 a.m. The board scheduled the next deliberation for Wednesday; the hearing was set to resume at 11:15 a.m. with the county's general-government budget section.