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November 2, 2026
In Whatcom County, autumn means apple picking, pumpkin patches, and documentaries watched at the Pickford. For local governments, fall is also budget season. Discussing finances is not as fun as some of the other seasonal offerings, but the budget process is crucial to ensuring that Whatcom County is well equipped for the future and able to continue delivering essential services for the community.
 The county budget supports a number of important programs and services.
County government is responsible for providing a number of critical services that residents may not always notice but that keep our community functioning day after day. The county budget supports elections, ferry service to Lummi Island, 934 miles of county roads, emergency management and response, public safety services, parks and trails, food safety permitting and restaurant inspections, water quality monitoring, hazardous waste disposal, affordable housing and homelessness programs, public defense, infectious disease prevention and monitoring, veterans services, and so much more.
Every two years, the County Executive is required to deliver a budget proposal for the upcoming biennium by September 1. As the county’s legislative branch, Council’s role is to review, amend, and adopt a final budget.
Like other jurisdictions, Whatcom County is facing a difficult fiscal climate with stagnant revenues unable to keep up with the increased cost of operations.
The Executive’s budget proposes a mix of expenditure cuts and revenue measures with the aim of ensuring fiscal responsibility while maintaining core services.
 Whatcom County is considering both expenditure reductions and revenue measures for this budget cycle.
The proposed budget calls for reduced spending across almost all county departments to achieve an approximately 7% reduction in General Fund expenses. On the revenue side, the proposal includes utilizing revenue capacity in the Flood Fund to support flood projects, using a levy fund option from the state to increase General Fund capacity, and alleviating costs on the Road Fund through the creation of a Ferry District (established this summer). For the average household, the combined impact of these revenue measures will be about $78 per year (based on a $500,000 property valuation).
 Proposed revenue measures include utilizing revenue capacity in the Flood Fund and a levy funding option from the state to increase the General Fund. The Ferry District levy was established earlier this year.
After hearing presentations from county departments and other elected offices, Council began its own discussions on the budget. At a special meeting on October 20, Council preliminarily approved the following amendments:
- Restore 4 patrol deputy positions in the Sheriff’s Office
- Fund contract for Hearing Examiner services
- Restore funding to Senior Centers
- Fund a Planning and Development Services Fee Study
- Fund a review and update of the Development Code
- Allocate $15,000/year to the Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence
- Allocate $25,000 in 2027 for the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission
- Establish a pilot project to support fire districts that carry out response operations on federally managed lands outside of their jurisdiction
- Fund a county budget and data platform to increase government transparency
Councilmembers held additional discussions of the 2027-2028 budget at the Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting on October 27 where they preliminarily approved the below amendment:
- Allocate $862,000 per year to local food banks to combat food insecurity
As budget deliberations continue into November, Council is asking for input from the public.
"The county budget is ultimately a reflection of our community's priorities and values," said Council Chair Kaylee Galloway. "It's important that we hear from community members during this process."
Community members can weigh in by:
- Emailing Council at Council@co.whatcom.wa.us
- Emailing the County Executive at Executive@whatcomcounty.us
- Speaking during Open Session at a regular evening Council meeting
- Speaking during Public Comment at a morning Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting
Council will also hold a public hearing on the budget proposal prior to adoption, which must occur by December 1.
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