On October 25, Clallam County officials presented an overview of the proposed 2025 budget at the Forks Chamber of Commerce, outlining a challenging financial landscape. Chief Financial Officer Mark Lane, along with County Commissioners Mark Ozias, Randy Johnson, and Mike French, addressed both obstacles and innovative approaches to balancing the budget.
Ozias described the budget as demanding but praised the finance team’s hard work. Johnson, marking this as the county’s most difficult budget in seven years, thanked the finance team, noting that work began as early as April. He highlighted state changes in indigent defense laws that will triple costs for the public defender’s office. French, however, noted that the close budget examination could yield positive improvements for the county.
Lane provided a broad overview of the 2025 budget, which is currently set at $54,284,953 in projected revenue and $58,417,821 in expenses, resulting in a gap of $4.2 million. Revenue assumptions include a 4% growth in sales tax, but expenditures will still exceed revenues, a scenario the county has faced before. Rising insurance premiums, which are unaffected by claims, along with upcoming labor agreement renewals, add to the financial strain. Lane shared good news about jail medical costs, which could soon be covered by Medicaid—a potential relief for the county.
To bridge the $4.2 million gap, Lane explained, departments were tasked with reducing their impact on the general fund. Capital funding requests were kept to a minimum, although some departments found it more challenging than others. Additionally, recent guidance from the Attorney General’s Office calls for decoupling the roles of prosecutor and coroner, a move that will increase costs. Other costs, such as worker compensation rate adjustments, additional criminal justice expenses, and new financial software, are still unaccounted for in the 2025 draft budget. Commissioners met with departments through October to explore alternative budget strategies before a draft presentation will happen on November 18. The final budget is scheduled for adoption in early December.
Johnson expressed that difficult choices would be inevitable, citing the 4-H program as an example. “We have 300 kids participating, and a vacant post,” he noted, questioning if it could be filled given budget constraints. However, he praised past innovations, such as hiring in-house nurses at the county jail to save costs, thanks to Sheriff Brian King’s initiative—a model that Johnson believes could be adopted statewide.
Discussions also covered investments in the Olympic Discovery Trail and the work of the newly established animal solutions committee. Lane emphasized that, despite constraints, the county remains committed to maintaining a 25% reserve fund, a strategy aimed at preserving financial stability for Clallam County’s future.
