Skagit County commissioners approve consent agenda; staff note TPA funds, FEMA buyout and property purchase

Skagit County commissioners approved the consent agenda on Jan. 5, 2026, which included routine warrants and several staff‑recommended budget adjustments. The board recorded the motion and voice vote in the public meeting; the motion passed 2–0.

County staff described specific line items included in the packet: the Tourism Promotion Area (TPA) will receive an increase of $55,000 and, according to staff, the county is now fully disbursing TPA revenues to the Skagit Tourism Bureau after holding back a portion in prior years; staff said the increase largely uses funds that had accrued in prior years to pay for work planned in 2025. Emergency management submitted an amendment moving roughly $780,000 from one project to another to purchase a property associated with a FEMA buyout program; staff characterized that purchase as 100% funded by the buyout program.

The commissioners also discussed a county purchase of the old GTE building downtown (described as north of the county campus and adjacent to a county parking lot) and noted that some space in that building will be subleased. Staff mentioned a separate $1,000,000 request submitted earlier in the packet; no further details on that request were provided on the public record during the meeting.

Chair Wiesner and Commissioner Browning thanked staff for their work and highlighted community programs such as the Vets Connect Center; the board encouraged community donations (for example, warm clothing) to that center. The board also scheduled afternoon candidate interviews to fill the District 3 vacancy and recessed to an executive session later in the day to consider candidate qualifications.

The consent agenda approval and budget adjustments were recorded without further formal amendment and will be reflected in the county financial records and forthcoming board materials.