Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Department Budgets topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County staff outline fee changes, program savings, living‑wage increase and Solid Waste fee hike
Summary
Managers presented department‑level budget changes including a proposed Solid Waste fee rise from $138 to $142 per parcel, a living wage bump to $20.02/hour, Sportsplex revenue forecast near $5.9M, and targeted operational reductions and position eliminations across departments.
During the May 26 work session county staff reviewed department‑level budget adjustments and operational changes that would accompany the FY2026–27 recommended budget.
County Manager Travis Myren summarized mandated and discretionary functions and identified modest operational reductions and program changes. Notable items included a proposed increase in the Solid Waste Program Fee from $138 to $142 per taxable parcel to address inflation, PFAS testing obligations and fuel costs; staff said 86% of Solid Waste revenue comes from the program fee and projected the fund will be lean in coming years. Myren also said the Sportsplex, a discretionary enterprise fund with no general fund impact, is budgeted to bring in just under $6 million next year (~$5.9M).
On compensation, the recommended package includes a 2% across‑the‑board salary increase, continuation of merit awards, a temporary suspension of the step program, higher retirement contributions, and an increase in the county living wage from $18.18 to $20.02 per hour (organization‑wide cost ~ $500,000). Myren compared neighboring jurisdictions’ proposed wage increases and framed the recommended package in that context.
Other department notes: Planning and Inspections staff agreed to add single‑ vs multi‑family permit breakdowns to future reporting; Human Resources flagged higher insurance and cybersecurity premiums but also $100,000 in cybersecurity savings from staff work; the Help Desk performance dip to ~76% after Office 365 deployment was attributed by CIO Robert Reynolds to a more complex ticket mix and prior understaffing; Animal Services eliminated a vacant Assistant Director position (saving ~$132,000) while reporting a community clinic that is net positive (~$70,000) and a shelter live‑release rate of ~90–93%.
Chair Jean Hamilton asked for more data on fuel projections and electric vehicle impacts; Myren said staff would pull vehicle usage data to assess whether EV investment is measurably reducing fuel use. Commissioners were reminded of the amendment submission deadline at 10:00 a.m. the next day and that the Board will consider a Resolution of Intent to Adopt on June 4.
