Commissioners to pause proposed $1,000,000 transfer to facilities fund while larger deferred-maintenance decisions are reviewed

Cowlitz County facilities staff presented a revised 2026 submission for the facilities five-year plan that delays multiple projects — including roofing and juvenile-facility HVAC items — into 2030 and left several capital projects off the short-term schedule.

Facilities staff explained the facilities fund is largely supported by the real estate excise tax. Staff outlined that maintaining deferred maintenance in the reduced plan would save about $1,000,000 per year to the general fund but warned that not making the proposed transfer would increase required debt issuance for projects in 2026.

Commissioners expressed divergent views. One commissioner argued against further deferral: "Somewhere, somebody has to bite the bullet and face up to the cost and deal with the situation and stop kicking the can down the road," he said, urging action on overdue maintenance. Staff noted that some projects are capital assets and others are deferred maintenance and asked whether the board wanted to preserve certain deferred-maintenance items such as the juvenile roof in the near-term plan.

The board discussed options including a long-term debt issuance or moving selected 2026 projects into 2027 so they remain visible on the list for future budgeting. Savannah asked whether it would be appropriate to pause the $1,000,000 transfer from the general fund; commissioners agreed that pausing and further evaluating juvenile-facility needs made sense and asked staff to return with options and numbers.

What happens next: Facilities staff will return with detailed recommendations on which deferred-maintenance items to preserve, estimates for debt versus pay‑as‑you‑go options, and cost projections for moving projects between 2026 and 2027.