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Multi-day budget hearings include salary scenarios and roughly $65,000 coroner vehicle quote
Summary
Across Aug. 20–22 budget hearings, departments presented budget requests and proposed salary increases by department; the coroner presented a vehicle quote for about $65,000 and the council reached consensus not to include council or commissioners in raises.
Washington County held multi-day budget hearings Aug. 20–22 to review department budgets for the 2026 fiscal year. Departments from highway and courts to extension and public safety presented requests, including line-item changes and staffing needs. The auditor's office said it would prepare budget models using a 5% blanket raise scenario and then re-run calculations using department-level percentages.
The coroner presented a vehicle quote for approximately $65,000. Councilmembers Mark Abbott and Gerald Fleming indicated they would research lower-cost options and the coroner vehicle cost would be covered by CEDIT funds if approved. In the hearings the council listed recommended percentage increases by department (examples: Highway 6%, Recorder 6%, Treasurer 6%, Veterans 8%) and reached consensus not to include council and commissioners in any salary increases.
Departments were reminded that the council could make changes up until the budget adoption date of Oct. 6, 2025, and follow-up work was assigned to the auditor’s office to produce alternative scenarios for final decisions.
