Washington County presents FY 2627 proposed budget, flags long-term revenue gap and facility investments

Katherine Harrington, chair of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, opened an information session for elected officials and community members to review the county’s proposed fiscal year 2627 budget and take questions.

County Administrator and budget officer Tanya Angie said the proposed budget “reflects both our pride in public service and the sobering reality that Oregon’s constrained property tax system does not align with the pace and scale of today’s service expectations.” Angie and staff described a chronic structural gap between general fund revenues and expenditures driven by tax limits adopted under Measure 5 and Measure 50 and by rising costs for labor, mandated programs and facilities.

The proposed FY 2627 budget relies in part on one-time resources and targeted reductions to present a balanced year, county Chief Financial Officer John Styer said. Styer noted an 11% spike in assessed value for tax year 2526—driven by the expiration of an Intel Strategic Investment Program agreement, a data center opting out of an enterprise-zone abatement, and other new high-tech investment—but warned that the gain increases the new valuation baseline and may not persist.

The county highlighted several near-term and one-time funding sources: Strategic Investment Program receipts, state gain share (about $9 million per year, currently scheduled to sunset in 2030) and American Rescue Plan Act funds (roughly $17 million received and fully obligated by the end of 2024). Staff said those dollars are being directed toward debt service, systems improvements and one-time capital needs rather than ongoing operations.

Styer described major investments included in the proposed budget: a Workday enterprise resource planning implementation (about $19.7 million, funded by ARPA and SIP/gain-share), a classification and compensation review (budgeted at $300,000), increased health insurance costs (about 10%, roughly $5.7 million), and a new proactive facilities strategy. The capital package includes approximately $10 million for facilities work, with specific projects cited such as a $4 million jail services buildout, a $3 million courthouse storm-drain replacement, and a $2 million exterior expansion-joint repair at the public services building.

Angie said the board has used a service-level assessment over recent years to distinguish mandated from discretionary activities; she gave examples of returning services to the state to reduce county expenditures. The county turned child support enforcement back to the state in recent years, saving the general fund about $700,000, she said, and plans to propose similar service shifts where state or other providers are the appropriate deliverer.

During the question-and-answer period, Christian Salgado, a Hillsboro city councilor, pressed staff on a slide that listed potential transportation revenue options, including an increase in vehicle registration fees. Staff said the vehicle-fee option is under exploration, that Washington County currently charges about half the state maximum, and that it is not part of the FY 2627 proposed budget. Salgado asked for data on distributional impacts; staff acknowledged analyses and community outreach remain in progress and said follow-up would be taken offline.

Taylor Giles, a Sherwood city councilor, asked whether the county is assessing programs for elimination to balance recurring costs. Angie described the county’s multi-year effort to review services and gave examples of reductions and reassignments; she also noted staffing changes in the sheriff’s office, where 26 previously unfilled positions were removed in an earlier budget cycle and some jail-related positions are included in the proposed budget now that fill rates permit reopening pods.

The chair and staff emphasized public engagement steps: a town-hall meeting scheduled for the next day at 6 p.m. (in the same auditorium and on Zoom), two budget committee presentation days (May 14–15) and public hearings for district and county budgets on May 20. Staff said materials, FAQs and presentation slides will be posted on the county meeting portal and that the next-night session will provide real-time Spanish translation.

The information session closed with an invitation to submit questions by email and to review the budget summary available on the county website. The budget committee will consider the proposals in public meetings before the board advances toward adoption.