 Whatcom County Courthouse in spring
Council is scheduled to hear a presentation from the county administration on the development of the 2027-2028 biennial budget during their Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting on April 28 at 10 a.m.
Whatcom County, like other local governments across the state and county, continues to face structural budget challenges as a result of broader economic conditions such as inflation and stagnating revenues, which have been compounded by other factors like population growth and new unfunded state mandates. County governments are also constrained by state policy in terms of options for revenue generation, which means Whatcom County has few viable pathways for balancing the budget and maintaining core services.
One step the county has taken ahead of what is anticipated to be a difficult biennial budget process is the adoption of a new criminal justice sales and use tax. Council adopted Ordinance 2026-020 via a 5-2 vote earlier this month, approving a new one-tenth of one percent sales tax, the proceeds of which are to be prioritized in the 2027-2028 budget for expenses such as jail health and food services, lease payments for the new Sheriff’s Office, and support for labor costs necessary to maintain core service levels across eligible county departments.
Without the adoption of the criminal justice tax, the Executive's Office estimated that Whatcom County would need to cut approximately $6.5 to $7 million dollars from its budget, necessitating layoffs, furloughs, cuts to core services, decreased law enforcement presence, and delays within the civil and criminal court system.
Council Chair Kaylee Galloway acknowledged the urgency of the measure ahead of Council's vote. “We don’t make these tough decisions lightly, but they are absolutely necessary,” she said.
The Executive’s Office estimates that the tax will cost the average household about $25-45 dollars a year. Collection is scheduled to begin July 1.
An alternate ordinance proposed by Councilmembers Ben Elenbaas and Mark Stremler that was also considered but not adopted would have enabled county voters to weigh in on the criminal justice tax via a non-binding advisory vote at the ballot box in August.
In explaining his support for the alternate ordinance, Stremler said, “I place the utmost importance on the voice of the people.”
As the county begins deliberation of the biennial budget, community members can learn about the process and share input by watching presentations to Council, attending community engagement events such as the Second Annual County Open House this fall, and participating in public hearings. Feedback can also be shared directly with Council by emailing council@co.whatcom.wa.us.
"Decisions and prioritization must be done with and in community,” Galloway said about the upcoming budget process.
 Tawsha Thompson, Co-Chair of the Justice Project Oversight and Planning (JPOP) Committee, speaks during the public comment period of the second Community Engagement Workshop for the Justice Project in Lynden.
Second Community Engagement Workshop for the Justice Project Held in Lynden
Whatcom County held a second community engagement workshop for the Justice Project on March 19 in Lynden to allow community members to hear directly from people involved in the project and share their feedback.
A presentation from staff highlighted progress made on the new Behavioral Care Center, which has a goal of breaking ground in 2027 in order to be online before the new jail is completed. The presentation also provided an overview of key factors decision makers will take into consideration when making choices about the size, scope, budget, and programming for the new jail.
Alternative Location for the New Jail
Whatcom County entered into a tentative agreement to purchase a property located at 4160 Hannegan Road in Bellingham as an alternative site for the new jail. The county was previously considering locating the jail at a site on La Bounty Drive in Ferndale.
The administration will soon ask Council to approve the purchase of the 19-acre lot, which was appraised at a fair market value of $4,070,000. Discussions are already underway with the City of Bellingham regarding a permitting process for the new facility.
Compared to the La Bounty Drive site, the Hannegan location has a number of advantages, including more favorable site conditions, which may allow for a shortened timeline for project completion. According to the county administration, building the jail at the Hannegan property is also estimated to net up to $2.5 million in capital construction cost savings.
Another important benefit of the Hannegan property is its proximity to Whatcom County's Behavioral Health Campus on Division Street, home to the Anne Deacon Center for Hope, Didgwalic Wellness Center's MOUD (Medications for Opioid Use Disorder) Services Clinic, and the future Whatcom Behavioral Care Center, a diversion and treatment center being designed and built as part of the Justice Project.
 Aerial view of the proposed alternate site for the new jail at 4180 Hannegan Road in Bellingham.
New Data Tracking Site Launched
Led by the efforts of the Justice Project Oversight and Planning (JPOP) Committee, Whatcom County launched a new data tracking site to share currently available data related to the Justice Project, the voter-approved initiative to reshape our community’s criminal justice and behavioral health systems.
The Justice Project Data Tracking site presents data and reports from a variety of sources with a nexus to the county’s criminal justice and behavioral health systems, including the Anne Deacon Center for Hope Crisis Triage Center, the Sheriff’s Office, various diversion programs and more.
The Data Tracking Site is organized around the following core questions:
- How are we reducing and preventing incarceration?
- How are the alternatives to incarceration working?
- What changes are happening in the court systems?
- Who is incarcerated now?
- What are the longer-term impacts on health and safety?
Jail Population Forecast and Behavioral Health Analysis
Council received a presentation at their April 14 Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee meeting reporting on the findings of two key reports that will help inform the county's work on the Justice Project:
The Behavioral Health Analysis makes recommendations for design and programming of the Behavioral Care Center (BCC) that support the goal of diverting individuals from incarceration who can safely and effectively have their problems addressed in the community. The report recommends the BCC include a 22-bed Crisis Relief Center that offers walk-in psychiatric care, substance use disorder treatment, and minor medical care. Inclusion of a 32- bed Co-Occurring Disorders Facility is also recommended with principal services to include comprehensive assessment, behavioral therapy, structured substance use treatment, and medication management.
The Jail Population Forecast Analysis aims to determine the projected bed need for a jail facility in Whatcom County through the year 2050. To create its forecast, the report examines jail average length of stay, booking composition, criminal court case processing timelines, population projections, and more. In 2050, the projected average daily population in the jail is 514.
Engage with the Justice Project:
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