Thurston County Commissioners John Hutchings, Bud Blake and Gary Edwards listen to public comments during a meeting Tuesday, May 2, 2017, in Olympia.
Thurston County commissioners managed to close the 2018 budget shortfall by moving $2 million from the county’s unemployment compensation fund, according to a Friday press release from the county.
After a $1.4 million shortfall was found in the 2018 budget, the budget office identified the $2 million to be moved back into the general fund.
The revenue forecast for 2018 was flat as a result of reductions made by the state Legislature and unexpected reductions in grant revenue, according to a press release from Thurston County. The office and department requests for additional spending authority increased by 3 percent for 2018. The approved budgets for 2017 and 2018 already exceeded revenue by $7 million.
Under state law, the county must fund certain programs, and some, such as providing indigent defense and addressing overcrowding in the jail, are not fully funded. In total, law and justice consumes 75 percent of the general fund. Rising personnel costs and increased costs of benefits also contributed to the shortfall, according to the county.
This is a short-term solution and will not solve any long-term budget issues, according to the press release. As the next biennial budget process begins, the commissioners and departments will work to address the imbalance between revenue and expenditures.
