The Thurston County Board Commissioners announced Wednesday, May 20, that funding resources have been identified to support a part-time reopening of in-person counter services at the Thurston County Clerk’s Office.
The public service counters at the Thurston County Clerk’s Office closed down on Jan. 20 after the county implemented large-scale budget cuts to address a $28.3 million structural deficit.
The clerk’s office specifically saw a $777,478 budget reduction in Thurston County’s 2026-27 budget.
That, combined with budget cuts from previous years, made it impossible for the clerk’s office to maintain in-person services, according to Thurston County Clerk Linda Myhre Enlow.
When the public counters shut down, all formerly in-person services, including protection order applications, document filing, court document copy requests, public record access and appointment scheduling, shifted to online-only.
The end of in-person services at the clerk’s office drew widespread criticism from the public, particularly from advocates for domestic violence survivors who relied heavily on in-person support from clerk staff to navigate complex paperwork and court processes.
In an effort to restore these direct community services, the Thurston County Board of Commissioners adjusted current budget allocations to fund front-line public counter services on a part-time basis, the board said in a news release.
“This internal budget shift ensures existing resources directly support the community without increasing the overall budget,” the Board of Commissioners said in a news release.
The amount of money identified for reallocation to the clerk’s office was not publicly available Wednesday afternoon.
While specific operational plans, staffing adjustments and possible dates of resumption remain under internal review, the board said it expects to vote June 2 on a budget amendment .
If adopted, the amendment will make the reallocated funds immediately available to the clerk’s office for counter support.
“The board remains focused on finding budgetary solutions that restore vital in-person services to our residents — if on a modified or incremental basis,” said Chair of the Board of County Commissioners Tye Menser. “We recognize that implementing these changes requires working through operational and administrative details, but the necessary funding framework is now in place and ready to support this service priority.”
Counter services were previously available at both the Thurston County Courthouse location in Olympia on Lakeridge Drive SW and at the Family & Juvenile Court on 32nd Ave in Tumwater. These roles helped community members navigate complex court processes and fill out legal forms — a service the board and community members have described as “vital to the office,” the board said in a news release.
Enlow indicated during public hearings on the 2026-27 budget held last year that shutting down in-person services at the clerk’s office was a very real possibility under the county’s new budget.
The county was looking at an estimated structural deficit of $23.8 million in 2025 that worsened in the 2026-27 biennium.
In response, the county took a proposed 26% general fund reduction — over $36 million — and whittled it down to a total of $9.84 million in cuts.
While the final cuts aren’t as devastating as the initial proposal, departments like the Clerk’s Office still saw significant impacts from budget cuts.
The budget impacts to the clerk’s office were among the factors that led two county commissioners, Rachel Grant representing District 2 and Emily Clouse representing District 5, to vote against adopting the budget in December. The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners ultimately approved the budget in a contentious 3-2 vote.
The county’s budget constraints were driven by a combination of factors, including reduced state and federal funding, unfunded mandates, flattening tax revenues, and rising costs of essential services.
The county launched 2026 with a plan to balance its budget over the next two years, and a close watch on the state’s economic situation, according to Thurston County’s recent news release.
The state’s projected budget difficulties add “heavy budget pressure to the county which is constitutionally and statutorily required to provide local courts, public health and voting services whether or not state funding covers them,” Thurston County said in the release.
Thurston County officials say that the county is stretching its budget through efficiencies, funding partnerships and operational realignments.
“Our board is helping county leaders navigate budgetary challenges by rethinking operations, cultivating funding partnerships and keeping the focus where it belongs: on protecting services our community relies on,” said Thurston County Manager Leonard Hernandez. “At the same time, our award-winning teams of budget and financial professionals — the assessor, auditor, treasurer and commissioners budget office — are collaborating closely to stabilize our budget today and safeguard our county’s fiscal health into the future.”
Thurston County Clerk’s Office counter services are currently closed to the public.
Public terminals are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for document viewing, and online services are available at www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/county-clerk/info
Enlow, who has been Thurston County’s elected clerk since 2015, did not file for re-election and will leave her position when her term ends at the end of 2026.
Garrett Cady of Yelm and Nicole Miller of Olympia are both vying for the seat. Cady registered as an Independent and Miller registered as a Democrat. They will face off on the November 2026 ballot.
