Cowlitz County Commissioners 's livestream

Cowlitz County Commissioners’ 2027 budget workshop, October 27, 2026, reviewed Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, Emergency Management, Auditor, Elections, and other departmental budgets. No formal votes or contract awards were identified. Sheriff’s Office budget changes largely reflect the return of 3.45 law-enforcement FTEs and two behavioral-health positions to the General Fund, rather than new staffing alone. Proposed reductions included $20,000 in software maintenance, $50,000 in small tools and equipment, and $132,000 in court-security professional services; the department also noted a further estimated $124,000 reduction in 911 costs that was not yet reflected in the draft. Officials discussed a pending state grant that could offset personnel and equipment costs, and a proposed $290,000 transfer to the Sheriff’s equipment and technology reserve, with the final reserve need dependent on the radio system selected and potential grant support.

Emergency Management outlined a proposed $149,000 use of its accumulated reserve for end-of-life IT equipment, satellite communications, and a flood-response trailer; commissioners deferred a decision pending further discussion of county facilities. The Auditor described plans to pursue replacement of its 28-year-old recording system in 2027, but no cost or procurement decision was stated. The workshop also reviewed liability coverage: the county paid about $789,000 in 2026, and the presented renewal scenarios ranged from 20% to 30% increases, with the budget prepared for the highest option. Other budget discussions addressed staffing, training, records-disclosure workload, and election-cost uncertainty; no purchasing approvals or new vendor selections were made.