Budget Committee Meetings - County Budget and SDL No 1 Budget Committee - May 20 2026

The Washington County, Oregon Budget Committee convened on May 20, 2026, to review and approve the fiscal year 2026-27 budget, including the Service District for Lighting (SDL) No. 1 budget and other county-wide allocations. The committee approved the SDL No. 1 budget totaling approximately $4.3 million, which supports street lighting maintenance and energy costs across over 12,000 street lights. Discussions included budget-neutral technical adjustments related to organizational realignments and a significant amendment to increase the Board of Commissioners' travel budget by $30,750 to support conference attendance, which passed despite some conflict of interest declarations. Another key amendment approved was a $155,000 allocation from contingency funds to hire an entry-level assistant county attorney to address workload strains in the County Council office. The committee also designated $15,000 to the North Willamette Research and Extension Center. The overall county budget was approved at $2.18 billion with specified tax levies and bond amounts. The meeting emphasized transparency, fiscal responsibility, and strategic investments in staffing and operational needs.