Thurston County board directs notice and authorizes auditor to load technical corrections to 2026–27 budget

Thurston County commissioners on June 23 voted to proceed with public notice for Special Amendment One to the 2026–27 biennial budget and authorized the auditor’s office to load tentative technical corrections into the county financial system to maintain continuity of operations.

Financial staff identified three coding corrections in the amendment and one $200,000 expenditure/revenue adjustment that staff described as technical fixes needed to correct invalid fund–department combinations and revenue/expenditure entries. The staff presentation cited state law (RCW 36.40.100; 36.40.140; 36.40.195 and RCW 36.42.50) as authority for mid‑biennium adjustments.

“Today we are bringing to you a special amendment to correct … invalid intersections which are basically fund department combinations and an expenditure revenue correction,” the financial presenter identified as Summer told the board. Summer said the county would publish public notice beginning July 2 for two weeks and that there would be no public hearing for the special amendment because the changes were technical.

The board approved two motions on the record. First, the board moved to direct staff to proceed with noticing the 2026–27 biennial budget Special Amendment One as presented. Second, the board authorized the auditor’s office to load the tentatively approved corrections into the financial system “to maintain continuity of county operations and avoid disruption to departmental activities.” In each case the chair asked for verbal assent and affirmative “aye” responses were recorded on the audio record; the clerk declared the motions carried. The record did not include a roll‑call listing of voter names.

Adoption of the amendment by resolution is scheduled for the board’s July 21 meeting. Staff said no changes can be made after the public notice is published and that the notices will run in the newspapers of record as required.