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County staff projects $457M in operating revenue for 2026; resident questions sales-tax, levy assumptions
Summary
Budget staff presented 2026 operating revenue of about $457 million and operating expenditures of about $495.5 million; a public commenter asked the county to verify sales-tax and levy-shift assumptions and whether road-fund and the 1% property-tax change were correctly included.
Thurston County budget staff presented operating revenue and expenditure estimates for the 2026–27 biennium and answered commissioners’ questions about assumptions behind the figures.
Summer Miller, budget and fiscal manager, told the board total operating revenue across all funds for 2026 is approximately $457,000,000 and total operating expenditures are about $495,516,000; she gave 2027 projections as well. Miller said the general fund revenue mix includes taxes as the largest portion (about 64%) and charges for goods and services at just over 15%. Capital revenue across all funds was estimated at about $7.5 million in 2026 and $5.7 million in 2027.
When a commissioner asked whether the presentation included the 1% property-tax increase the board had previously approved, Miller confirmed the 1% property-tax assumption was included in the revenue figures and noted that the commissioner's office change request was captured.
During public comment, John Pettit of East Olympia urged the county to recheck sales-tax revenue estimates and levy-worksheet assumptions. Pettit said he saw state data suggesting local sales-tax receipts around $26–27 million rather than the $32–34 million figure he believes appears in the county materials. He also asked for verification of levy-shift impacts and whether road-fund numbers had been properly accounted for in the budget totals.
The board moved to close the revenue public hearing after the comment period. No formal adoption or vote on the budget totals was recorded in the hearing segment; staff and commissioners indicated follow-up and verification of assumptions would occur as the budget process continues.
What’s next: Staff will maintain the public record and answer specific data requests; commissioners may request supplemental levy and sales-tax worksheets before taking final budget actions.
