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Wallowa County adopts 2026 levies, including 1.97% general levy and 2.5% roads levy
Summary
After closed public hearings with no public testimony, the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners adopted its 2026 levies: a 1.97% general/current‑expense levy (including banked capacity) and a 2.5% road levy; the board also approved the EMS district levy at 1% and unchanged veterans and noxious‑weed assessments.
The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 24 adopted its 2026 property‑tax levies following public hearings that produced no testimony. Commissioners voted to set the general/current‑expense levy at 1.97% (the 1% statutory increase plus 0.97% banked capacity) and a county road levy at 2.5%; both measures were approved unanimously as recorded.
Commissioner Kimball said the board faces a structural gap in next year’s budget and that asking departments and elected offices for steep reductions was not enough to close it. "We are obviously, our budget is upside down for 2026," he said, urging the modest levy increases as a way to preserve county services.
Commissioner Clayton framed the decision as a fiscal necessity rather than a political choice, noting the board’s history of alternately taking and withholding levy increases and the practical effect of "banked" levy capacity. "This is a tool that we don't want to use for good reason, but for me this is not a political question," Clayton said, adding that the board must balance services and staff retention.
The board separately approved a 2.5% roads levy recommended by Public Works to respond to rising equipment and maintenance costs. Commissioners noted Public Works’ recent efficiency efforts and that some maintenance schedules have been deferred to stretch available funds.
The Emergency Medical Services district levy — the usual statutorily permitted 1% — was also approved. "This is what they ask for every year," Kimball said, describing the levy as important to ensure EMS response capability.
The board adopted the veterans assistance and mental‑health/developmental‑disability levy with no change, and it approved a $62,802 assessment for the County Noxious Weed Control Program. All votes on the levies were recorded as carrying, with the most frequent tally noted as 3–0.
What’s next: These levy settings will be used in the county’s 2026 budget process. Commissioners said they will continue to press departments for additional budget reductions and analyze the overall impact of levy actions on taxpayers and county operations.
