After working with department heads and the Auditor’s Office for months, the Council approved a County budget for 2026 on Dec. 9. There were some jobs and programs added back in that were on the table to be cut.

“2027 looks so abysmal, and the actions we are taking today make it more abysmal. So I don’t want it to go unnoticed that what we gave yesterday and today may not end up being on the table in a few short months,” Chair Kari McVeigh said after the auditor’s presentation.

Council member Justin Paulsen commented that it was a very uncomfortable budget to pass.

The County fleet

Public Works uses a majority of the County vehicles, and the Sheriff’s Office has the second biggest fleet. Although both departments put money aside each year for maintenance and or replacement, those funds are, according to Paulsen and Facilities Manager Greg Sawyer, depleting those departments’ budgets. Adding fuel to the fire, the Sheriff’s Office is required to turn over vehicles after so many years.

“It’s a multi-million dollar issue we are facing,” Paulsen explained, adding that he met with Sawyer to brainstorm the problem. “How can we get out of this hole without paying money to backfill it?” Paulsen asked.

The probable solution that Council appeared to be leaning toward was to reduce the fleet and, where possible, have employees share vehicles.

“I hear what Justin is saying as far as possibly sharing and reduction of vehicles,” Council member Jane Fuller said. “That’s an obvious target as far as I’m concerned.”

“I don’t know how we do it without sharing vehicles,” McVeigh agreed.

Programs

The Council had taken a look at cutting the electronic monitoring program. The program monitors and tracks defendants rather than keeping them in jail. The cost is around $31,000 annually.

“The general thought is that we would not see a cost savings,” Paulsen told his fellow Council members after explaining that he had discussed the issue with district court staff. Without the program, Paulsen continued, there would be a burden on County staff, and the County could be on the hook for the defendant’s housing, medical care and transportation.

The Council unanimously agreed to keep the program in, with the caveat that courts and the Sheriff’s Office keep data on a month-to-month basis to see what kind of cost savings there may or may not be.

Due to new state legislation, the local prosecuting attorneys may no longer double as coroners. As a result, the County needs to form a new coroner department, and new staff will need to be accredited.

Some funding was built into the prosecuting attorney’s budget, and that can be moved over to the new coroner. However, there will be added costs that the County will have to pay for.

“I think it’s important to provide feedback to [the legislators] to let them know what the impact of their decision-making is,” Fuller said. Paulsen and McVeigh agreed.

Jobs

As part of cost savings, two positions, a detective position and a chief criminal deputy, have been delayed in the Sheriff’s Office. Both will start in the summer, saving the county over $100,000.

Some jobs that were proposed to be cut were added back into the budget. One job that was cut came out of the Department of Community Development.

Two people, both former County DCD employees, spoke to that specific move.

While Brooke Sullivan expressed appreciation for the tough position the Council was in, she also expressed disappointment in the continued outsourcing of local jobs. Planning positions have been cut as the County moved to restructure the department and to contract permitting.

“Outsourcing and eliminating local jobs is an unacceptable solution to this crisis,” Sullivan told the Council. She continued explaining the detrimental effects, including allowing someone who may never set foot on the island to determine whether a development can occur, especially when there are locally skilled and capable workers available.

“Public servants and union reps do the work, even when it’s hard, even when it’s unpleasant, because they fundamentally believe it is for the greater good,” Sullivan said. She continued on, but she had gone over her allotted three minutes and was therefore cut off.

Jessa Madosky spoke next. “Last year, one department spent $783,000 outsourcing what used to be local jobs,” she began.

Madosky went on to say the current budget, by cutting the DCD position, continues to outsource, and goes over the original one-million-dollar out-of-state contract.

“These monies could be better spent rehiring those local workers,” Madosky said. She continued on to explain how supporting island workers strengthens the community and community economy. She also went over her three minutes and was cut off.

One more person testified, wondering who oversees the County budget, saying it seems like there is mismanagement. Her question went unanswered, as the Council only listens to public testimony during public hearings rather than responding. Several budget oversight mechanisms are in place, including internal audits of the County Auditor’s Office and audits from the State Auditor’s Office.

To learn more, or to contact either office, visit https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/165/Auditor, or https://sao.wa.gov/.

“The budget is all we are going to be talking about for a very long time,” McVeigh said, prior to approving the 2026 budget, noting that the things that were on the table to be cut remain on the table for cuts in 2027.