Washington County staff preview 2026 state agenda, urge preserving $1.25 million courthouse planning funds

Washington County government relations staff on Tuesday asked the Board of Commissioners to approve revised language and a strengthened fiscal narrative for the county’s 2026 state legislative agenda and to prioritize preservation of the $1,250,000 in state matching funds for courthouse planning.

Aaron Doyle, senior government relations manager, told the board staff will add a graphic and language that make clearer “the fiscal challenges that Washington County has faced” across multiple budgets and explain how state-mandated services and measures contribute to the county’s general-fund gap. Doyle said the team will circulate the finalized narrative and graphics for individual feedback before bringing the agenda to the board for action.

Why it matters: county staff said the narrative will help lawmakers and the public better understand budgetary constraints the county faces and justify requests or opposition to state mandates during the short legislative session.

The presentation reviewed guiding principles and priorities the county will carry forward into 2026. Carly Silva Gabrielson said staff strengthened the guiding-principle language opposing “all new, unfunded, and underfunded legislative mandates,” and commissioners asked staff to clarify whether the phrase applied to new mandates only or to all underfunded mandates. Staff agreed to modify the wording (for example by adding “each” before “underfunded”) to remove ambiguity.

On priorities, staff confirmed continued emphasis on stable, sustainable funding, replenishing revenue lost through implementation of the Habitat Conservation Plan, and investments in workforce development. Doyle said one previously listed principle — codifying and updating funding formulas that staff had carried from 2020–25 — was removed because it had already been accomplished.

Courthouse funding: Pablo Nieves Valenzuela, part of the government relations team, told the board the Oregon Judicial Department has included Washington County’s $1,250,000 in courthouse planning funds in a list of potential reductions being developed for the short session. He urged the board to include explicit language to “preserve the $1,250,000 in matching state funds appropriated for planning the replacement of our 100 year old courthouse.” Commissioners asked about the governor’s and legislature’s budget forecasts; staff said the February 4 revenue forecast will give a clearer picture of cuts the short session may require.

Next steps: staff said they will bring a final legislative agenda to the board meeting on Dec. 16 (or the first business meetings in January if timing requires) and will begin outreach during legislative days in mid-January. Multiple commissioners gave general support to the proposed changes and asked staff to include precise wording and graphics for review before adoption.

The board did not take a final vote on the agenda at the work session. The county’s government relations team will return with a final draft and ask for formal action at a future meeting.