Cowlitz County Commissioner Open Public Meetings

Cowlitz County Commissioners budget workshop, October 12, 2026: Departments presented proposed 2027 budgets and cost reductions. Risk management estimated approximately $4.3 million in premiums, including a projected 30% liability-premium increase, and proposed increasing the transfer to the liability claims fund from $300,000 to $500,000. The commissioners’ office proposed a $909,550 budget, while the Board of Equalization proposed $20,008. Building and Planning requested a 2.9% fee increase; commissioners expressed support for the increase and directed staff to negotiate higher rates with municipal customers to stop subsidizing inspection and plan-review services, including a proposed increase of about $2.50 per hour.

IT proposed adding off-site, immutable data backups at approximately $100,000 for the first year and $75,000 annually thereafter; commissioners supported including the request in the budget. A separate $200,000 AI request was deferred while staff investigates grant opportunities and develops governance safeguards. The county has about $1.95 million in IT reserves, but those funds also cover other equipment replacements. Staff outlined a potential PeopleSoft migration estimated at about $4.4 million, with no decision made; they will continue assessing needs, vendor options, and costs. Current PeopleSoft-related vendor costs were reported at $381,000 annually, with renewals involving Inspire and Mythics LLC anticipated absent funding to begin a transition. No formal votes were reported; the meeting was a budget workshop and included commissioner consensus on the backup request and support for the proposed fee actions.