Amidst declining revenues and increased expenses, the Board of Lewis County Commissioners will formally adopt a 2025 budget on Monday. The move comes as commissioners debate how to balance a rough financial outlook with a need to provide adequate public safety and the intent of a 911 tax voters approved earlier this month.
“That was supposed to be for boots on the ground. That’s what we sold it as,” Commissioner Scott Brummer said of the tax on Monday.
“That is not what we sold it as,” Commissioner Lindsey Pollock quickly responded.
“Well, we’ll agree to disagree there,” Brummer responded.
For months, commissioners and county officials have struggled to close a budget deficit that initially hovered around $5 million. In July, the Board of Lewis County Commissioners mandated department heads submit 2025 budget proposals equal to 2023 actual expenditures.
Lewis County’s preliminary budget includes anticipated revenues of $179.6 million and expenditures of $196.5 million in 2025, a decrease of 7.8% in expenditures from the 2024 adjusted budget.
Since late September, the county has reduced $2.3 million in general fund expenditures and made other adjustments to the 2025 budget.
According to data provided by Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope, the sheriff’s office operates 0.76 deputies per 1,000 residents in Lewis County, below the Washington state average of 1.3 deputies per 1,000 residents and the national average of 2.3 deputies.
“I’m going to tell you, this will have an impact,” Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza said of potential cuts to his department during Monday’s budget presentation.
During an October budget hearing, Snaza said he learned of “budget issues” approximately eight months ago and added that the only way the department could absorb budget cuts would be by “taking away employees.”
On Monday, Snaza pointed to the successful 911 tax passed by Lewis County voters. The tax will collect an additional .2% sales tax to fund its 911 call center, a rate of 2 cents for every $10. The tax is estimated to raise approximately $4 million in yearly revenue. Groceries, gas and medicine will be exempt from the tax.
Snaza said the tax was presented to voters as an opportunity to hire additional law enforcement.
“We pushed this tax. We supported this tax, that this would help our community,” Snaza said Monday. “And now you three are going to make a decision whether you’re going to fulfill that commitment or you’re going to cut back.”
In response, Pollock noted the difference between a 911 tax and a safety tax. In 2023, Thurston County voters approved a two-tenths of 1% sales and use safety tax that primarily funds law enforcement, though its allowed usage is broader than the tax Lewis County voters passed this year.
“There’s functionally no net change to the sheriff’s budget regarding the 911 tax,” Pollock said. “All we are doing is offsetting the 911 fees, and those are going to the 911 department.”
During an informational budget meeting earlier this month, multiple commissioners said cuts to the 2025 budget would have a direct impact on the services the county could provide. During the Nov. 13 meeting, Lewis County Budget Administrator Becky Butler said the county’s preliminary budget would freeze approximately 15 positions in the general fund and would either not fill or cut additional positions not funded by the general fund.
Faced with rising costs and stagnant revenue, the county has frozen or cut roughly 30 positions since 2023. According to Pollock, the reductions mean the county will have fewer employees than in 2008.
“I think that it’s important to note that the volume of reductions in staffing across the board in all county departments are definitely going to make an impact in the level of service that the citizens of Lewis County receive,” Brummer said earlier this month. “There’s just no other way to say that. It will have a definite impact on various levels of service that we provide.”
In a September memo, Butler said the budgetary challenges are not unique to Lewis County, as other municipalities look to reduce staffing or adopt a 32-hour work week to address shortfalls.
By state law, the commissioners must adopt a balanced budget where expenditures cannot exceed the anticipated yearly revenue.
The commissioners will hold a public hearing to adopt the budget and set the 2025 property tax at 10 a.m. on Monday.
