Unexpected costs and the continued pandemic response have shaped a big budget amendment for Thurston County.
The amendment includes millions in pandemic grants, costs associated with the landmark State v. Blake Supreme Court ruling and potential property expansions, said Assistant County Manager Robin Campbell.
Residents can weigh in on the amendment during a public hearing on Tuesday, June 22.
"It's not as much as the original budget, but it's an extremely significant amount of money that is changing this time," Campbell said.
The county is incorporating into its budget a series of grants including $28.2 million in American Rescue Act funds and around $60 million for Public Health and Social Services, Campbell said.
"We have a significant amount coming into (Public Health and Social Services), mainly in support of the response to the pandemic, and a lot of that in funding to pay for the vaccines," Campbell said.
The county received the American Rescue Act funds on May 19 and expects an additional $28 million from the federal government in about a year. Campbell said the Board of County Commissioners has yet to allocate the funding for any specific purpose.
Regarding Public Health's pandemic response, the amended budget report includes nearly $7.4 from the state Department of Health and $25 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for mass vaccine events.
There also is a $5 million placeholder in anticipation of more funds from the DOH and $2 million for quarantine and isolation of homeless individuals who have health conditions that put them at higher risk, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the report shows Social Services has received about $8.76 million in U.S. Treasury rental and utilities assistance funds for people impacted by the pandemic.
Social Services also received about $10.2 million from the Treasure through the state Department of Commerce for the same purpose, according to the report.
Costs of the Blake ruling
The landmark State v. Blake ruling has placed a burden on the county's courts, Prosecuting Attorney's Office and Public Defense.
The February ruling found that the state's simple drug possession law was unconstitutional because it criminalized passive, unknowing conduct. Since then, the state Legislature has passed Senate Bill 5476, downgrading such charges to gross misdemeanors.
The planned budget amendment is allocating hundreds of thousands of dollars, mostly from the county's general fun, to deal with the fallout from the ruling.
"We did not have reserves for this type of situation," Campbell said. "The current fund balance in the general fund is sufficient to cover this at this time ... but we are assuming that we'll get some money from the state to help offset these costs."
Campbell said the county expects the Blake ruling will take years to sort out. She added the county is still unsure how much support the state may eventually offer.
The amended budget report indicates the Prosecuting Attorney's Office has requested $288,734 to fund four additional positions to address the impact of the Blake decision. The resulting caseload and pandemic backlog have stressed staff this year, The Olympian previously reported.
Similarly, Public Defense has requested $238,464 to fund three new positions and increase their professional legal services budget, according to the report.
The report shows the county's Superior Court has requested $66,114 in funding to cover various costs, most notably a case coordinator to manage the Blake decision caseload and calendar.
Meanwhile, District Court has requested $59,698 in funding for an adult probation counselor and $11,300 to address a backlong of more than 1,500 cases caused by the pandemic.
Lastly, the Clerk's office requested $214,915 for two judicial proceeding specialists and some judicial support specialists, according to the report. These positions would attend hearings and manage documents, per the report.
Space needs
The amendment includes placeholder funding for two potential property expansions.
The most expensive is the Atrium building at 3000 Pacific Ave. in Olympia which the county is considering leasing for at least seven years. The amendment sets aside $7 million for tenant improvements at this 90,000-square-foot building.
If the county decides to lease the Atrium, County Manager Ramiro Chavez previously said general government offices would move to that building while the main campus would expand law and justice offices.
Action on a letter of intent has stalled multiple times in recent months as the county has continued to review the actual cost of the project.
On June 8, the Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 to include the project at the June 22 public hearing on an amendment to the county's Capital Improvement Program.
Commissioner Gary Edwards has repeatedly opposed the Atrium project because he feels it's premature to make the commitment while the pandemic continues to upend how county employees use office space.
The second potential expansion involves purchasing the Mottman Complex at the intersection of Ferguson Street Southwest and 29th Avenue in Tumwater.
The county may set aside about $5.6 million for this purchase, according to the amended budget report. The Auditor's Office already leases space at the location for a ballot processing center.
County Auditor Mary Hall has called on the board to purchase the complex so she can meet urgent space needs, consolidate some of her staff and secure the facility ahead of the next presidential election cycle.
The public hearings on the budget amendment and Capital Improvement Program amendment will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 22 at the Thurston County Courthouse, Building 1, Room 280 on Lakeridge Drive Southwest in Olympia.
People who wish to attend virtually can register in advance via Zoom or simply watch from the county's YouTube channel.
