Monday Budget Workshop - 10.19.2026

Cowlitz County Commissioners’ budget workshop on October 20, 2026, reviewed 2027 budgets for Superior Court, juvenile detention and probation, WSU Extension, and Corrections. Superior Court reported proposed reductions, including leaving a receptionist vacancy unfilled for an estimated additional $112,000 in savings, and said administration and therapeutic courts were below OFM budget recommendations. Court representatives asked the board to consider using opioid settlement funds for therapeutic courts, which they estimated would cost $692,000; commissioners debated the request, including whether to use a smaller amount of opioid funds, but took no formal vote or final funding action. They also discussed whether to explore a countywide therapeutic court and requested more information on program outcomes and costs.

Juvenile detention presented a budget request that includes $46,300 for required staff academy training and noted a 67% increase in IT costs; the presiding judge proposed a short-term work group to assess right-sizing, regionalization, and other longer-term options, with no decision made. Corrections reported that its jail medical contract rose from $2.62 million in 2024 to $2.93 million in 2025 and about $3.7 million in 2026, with costs expected to remain near that level in 2027; the county had made changes to the contract to reduce costs. City jail-booking agreements were recently renewed for four years with CPI increases. WSU Extension described the county’s $55,000 contribution under its agreement with WSU and discussed office and facility needs; commissioners expressed support for the program but made no budget decision. No contract award or procurement approval was identified.