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Thurston County commissioners will not get an increase in salary next year in light of the county’s ongoing financial troubles.
The county’s Citizen’s Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials, a volunteer advisory group, voted Monday to keep county commissioner salaries the same in 2026.
The salary commission made their decision about six months after the Board of County Commissioners asked them to not approve raises for them. The county commission made the request in an April 29 letter amid concerns about a shortfall in the general fund, the county’s primary operating budget. Since then, the board has made a series of decisions to cut the deficit and balance the budget.
“We started 2025 facing a $36 million gap between 2026 revenues and expenses,” Commissioner and Board Chair Tye Menser said in a Tuesday news release. “Thanks to tough decisions and hard work by officials, directors and staff, that’s now down to $9.8 million. That means more money for services and less impact to the community.”
The board approved a preliminary 2026-2027 budget last Wednesday and directed staff to build a final budget for the board to vote on Dec. 16.
Though the deficit has been reduced, the remaining gap will still result in cuts to positions and services across the county.
The five-member county commission cannot decide their own salaries; however, they do hold power over the salaries of other elected officials and department heads.
In 2025, the salary commission set county commissioner salaries at $12,328 month, or $147,936 a year, which represented a 6% increase over their 2024 salary.
For most of the remaining elected officials in 2025, the citizen’s commission recommended salary increases ranging from 6% to 9%. However, the county commission ultimately granted them a 6% increase, The Olympian previously reported.
The April 29 letter factored into the salary commission’s decision to forgo raises for the county commission, according to the news release.
The Olympian has asked the county to provide information on the status of raises for other elected officials, department heads and staff.
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