Board of County Commissioners - workshop

Thursday, September 3, 2026Official site

The Board reviewed budget reduction scenarios for District Court, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff's Office, Coroner, and Treasurer. Departments highlighted critical staffing levels, potential service impacts, and the need for strategic funding decisions amidst growing backlogs and mandated services.

About this meeting

Government Body
Board of County Commissioners
Meeting Type
Board Of County Commissioners
Location
Thurston County, WA
Meeting Date
September 3, 2026

Published excerpts

Only published remarks appear here. The full transcript is not published.

15 sections

23:55 – 24:59•Wayne Fournier

I always appreciate the way you guys approach things. So thank you for coming here in the way that you did today. And then complimenting us on strategic thinking, I want to compliment you on strategic thinking. Your willingness and ability to step up and work with us to bring on the Olympian Municipal Courts, that was huge. And that you guys are a great example for every other office in the county. So thank you. Yesterday we were talking about pre-trial services, and it was mentioned that pre-trial services weren't offered as something to district court in previous years. And then it was menti

37:23 – 37:38•Wayne Fournier

Thank you. Okay, anything else for District Court? I'm curious how much is available in TST and if there is like available money to shift around, would that SCRAM funds be eligible to be used?

1:05:37•Wayne Fournier

There are no cities who participate in the task force currently. Tumwater is committing to rejoining. Olympia does not. Lacey does not. Correct. We spend most of our time in the city of Olympia.

1:11:05•Wayne Fournier

So that $196,000, I'm sorry, represents one deputy?

1:12:26•Wayne Fournier

That's the total cost. It's a roll-up cost. All the other things that are not. Okay. The ancillary expenses connected to those.

1:18:16 – 1:18:35•Wayne Fournier

So you're saying that two weeks wasn't adequate and that this might not look the same if you had some more time to work on this? I mean, I'm wondering if we should get another crack at it or like how much time?

1:20:28•Wayne Fournier

But there was a contract to repair, just a maintenance contract was $20,000 plus. I haven't been legally allowed to use it in a way that it's effective.

1:20:55 – 1:21:12•Wayne Fournier

And then my second question, second follow-up question, is I think all the information's in there, but I would really like to know what the cost of one deputy is with all the ancillary costs, one unit, one human, what that, and I think it's all there. It's just, if you can dial that down with us.

1:23:18 – 1:23:45•Wayne Fournier

HOW MUCH DO WE PAY FOR THEM? THEY'RE LIKE $150,000. or 200-something thousand, I think. And they're a great tool. If we're allowed to use them correctly, they can scan if somebody's got systems and says they've got drugs inside their body. But the legislature put out a law that we had to dial them down to where they put out less radiation than a television. And so they're effectively useless to us. But they were a great thing to get. Were we allowed to use them? They saved lives. Yes.

1:29:08•Wayne Fournier

I thought they said there was like a $0.13 difference or something.

1:29:46 – 1:29:59•Wayne Fournier

But if we can find more opportunities throughout the county, like Pacific Pride, you know, if we can go to those, you know, those card in, you know, facilities and it saves, it adds up, you know, central services looking into it.

1:42:40•Wayne Fournier

The coroner is the administrator of the program, even though you do have a background in death.

1:46:51•Wayne Fournier

I love coroner stories. This is a good one.

1:54:56•Wayne Fournier

I'm in the archives. I saw how difficult it could be to source things.

2:04:21 – 2:04:46•Wayne Fournier

I think it's really important that we really embrace the full cost recovery concept, including all the contracts that we have, that we're providing services. And it's clearly not always understood that we're ensuring that we're not subsidizing other organizations and agencies. What kind of effort or level of effort are we able to put into that kind of analysis?

These excerpts are remarks by officials whose identity a person confirmed, from a transcript generated automatically from the official public meeting video and presented unedited. Accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.