Thurston County commissioners approve budget amendments, new funds and contracts

Thurston County commissioners on Tuesday approved a package of budget and administrative actions that included a biennial budget amendment, creation of two restricted funds and the authorization of professional contracts.

The board adopted 2026–2027 budget amendment one, which increases 2026 general-fund appropriations by $2,962,599 and increases all other funds by $82,710,775; for 2027 the amendment decreases the general fund by $4,360,904 and increases all other funds by $34,015,255. The amendment had been legally noticed in the Nisqually Valley News prior to the meeting. Summer Miller, budget and finance manager, presented the amendment and the board approved it after a motion and second; one commissioner recorded an abstention but the transcript does not identify who abstained.

The board also approved two new restricted special-revenue funds. Fund 1150, described as a jurisdictional court services fund, will administer court-services revenue provided by interlocal agreements (citing RCW 39.34.180) with Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Tenino and Rainier; Summer Miller said revenue in that fund is strictly restricted to reimbursing county district court services for those jurisdictions. Fund 1250 will receive proceeds from the 1/10 of 1% public safety sales tax authorized under House Bill 2015 and RCW 82.14.345; Miller said those revenues are restricted to public-safety and criminal-justice purposes such as law enforcement, public defenders and domestic-violence programs.

On staffing, the board adopted a resolution amending the county's 2026 position-control schedule. Maria Ponte, human-resources director, said the changes align with the 2026 budget amendment process and include position eliminations, reclassifications, date extensions or removals and transfers (including transfers from the clerk’s office to the prosecutor’s office to support an ongoing domestic-violence program).

The board authorized a $200,000 contract with Ross Strategic to provide a countywide integrated water-resource management assessment under a Washington Department of Commerce grant. Ashley Arai of Community Planning and Economic Development said the contract will evaluate water-related policies, programs and practices and deliver recommendations for improved coordination; the motion includes an option to add Nisqually watershed planning support (up to $150,000) and permits amendments reallocating funds among tasks up to 10%.

Public Works presented and the board approved a contract award to Infrastructure Management Systems (IMS) of Largo, Florida, for automated pavement-surface-condition data collection in the amount of $231,196.27, with authority for the director of Public Works to execute the contract and up to 10% contingency plus renewal options up to three additional years, to support the county’s pavement-preservation program. Public Works County Engineer Matt Unzelman described the automated data collection as a technology-driven replacement for prior manual windshield inspections, producing repeatable and consistent condition data.

The board took each item by motion and voice vote; in every case motions were seconded and passed. The record of who moved and who seconded each motion is not consistently identified in the transcript. The county manager and staff said bond counsel and the County Prosecuting Attorney's civil division had reviewed bond language and related documentation where applicable and that staff would continue to work with counsel on implementation details.

The board adjourned after commissioners offered community reports and the county manager noted ongoing engagement in the budget process. Next steps for the contract awards are execution by the relevant department directors and any required grant or interlocal project coordination.