Real Briefings
Whatcom County Council
The Whatcom County Council held a marathon budget session featuring three public hearings and consideration of numerous contracts. The evening's centerpiece was the combined public hearing on five 2026 budget items totaling over $20 million, which drew passionate testimony from food bank advocates and emergency medical services supporters. Council members previewed potential amendments to redirect funding toward food banks and implement performance metrics before ultimately holding all budget items open until December 2nd for final action. The session also addressed critical infrastructure needs, approving a controversial lease for new Sheriff's Office space at 4600 Ryzex Way and authorizing a three-year $22.9 million jail healthcare contract. While these major expenditures advanced, Council wrestled with competing priorities as they face a structural budget deficit and pressure to avoid tax increases.
**Budget Items (All held open until December 2):** - AB2025-707: 2026 Budget amendment ($20,970,606) - Motion 7-0 to hold - AB2025-719-725: Four tax levy ordinances - Each held 7-0 - AB2025-711, 709: Flood Control Zone District budget items - Both held 7-0 **Major Contracts Approved:** - AB2025-730: Jail healthcare contract with Correctional Healthcare Partners ($22.9 million, 3 years) - Passed 7-0 - AB2025-782…
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**Budget Amendment Proposals:** Four council members presented competing visions for budget modifications. Council Member Scanlon proposed creating county performance metrics and strategic planning ($200,000 from Community Priorities Fund) plus ensuring completion of the Community Health Assessment. Elenbaas suggested cutting third-party facilitator contracts for boards and commissions to avoid tax increases. Stremler recommended reallocating $244,000 from Parks seasonal staff to food banks. Donovan proposed moving $500,000 from Community Priorities Fund to food banks while questioning the council's willingness to make necessary cuts to avoid tax increases.
**Sheriff's Office Relocation:** The lease approval sparked debate over process and fiscal responsibility. Deputy Executive Pennucci out…
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**Food Bank Network:** Representatives from multiple food banks (Nooksack Valley, Blaine, Ferndale, Foothills, Agave) requested an additional $1 million in 2026, citing 30-42% increases in clients and declining donations. Amy Steele (Nooksack Valley) noted visits increased from 3,880 in 2021 to 14,474 in 2024. Daniel Burdick (Blaine) emphasized impacts of SNAP benefit suspensions and federal worker furloughs.
**Emergency Medical Services:** Fire commissioners and EMS officials supported using full bank capacity for the EMS levy. Jim Hallett (EMS Finance Committee) emphasized Whatcom County's world-class cardiac arrest survival rates. Dr. Ralph Likey presented data showing …
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**Council Member Donovan, on budget challenges:**
"We're looking at a seven million dollar structural deficit that we're making worse by the day and we're kind of like dancing around this discussion of taxes."
**Lauren Carlson, 16-year-old EMS advocate:**
"I've watched those red lights and blue lights reflect off my family's face and feel that horrendous mix of fear and relief that only comes with when the help finally arrives."
**Sheriff Donnell Tanksley, on facility needs:**
"The Whatcom C…
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**November 18:** Committee of the Whole budget discussions including council member amendments. Staff requested early notification of amendment intentions to prepare alternative budget versions. **December 2:** Final public hearing and budget adoption. Public hearing remains open for additional testimony. **Budget Process:** Legal clarification needed on which amendments co…
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**Immediate Changes:**
- Food banks gain ability to access 2026 funding in 2025
- Sheriff's Office secures new facility lease (pending implementation)
- Jail healthcare transitions to consolidated vendor December 1
- Council establishes clear budget amendment process for November 18
**Process Changes:**
- Budget public hearings remain open (unprecedented continuation)
- Council commits to morning Committee of the Whole start November 18
- Amendment notificati…
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# A Council Balancing Act: Budget Battles and Public Safety Needs
## Meeting Overview
On Wednesday evening, November 5, 2025, the Whatcom County Council convened for what would become a marathon session lasting over four hours. Chair Kaylee Galloway called the hybrid meeting to order at 6:03 PM with all seven council members present: Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler.
The evening's agenda was dominated by the county's 2026 budget deliberations, featuring multiple public hearings on budget amendments and tax levies totaling over $20 million. But what made this meeting particularly notable was the convergence of two critical county needs: the ongoing budget crisis requiring difficult choices about taxes and spending cuts, and the decades-long struggle to find adequate facilities for the Sheriff's Office. The meeting would reveal the complex dynamics of local government finance, the passionate advocacy of community members, and the challenging decisions facing elected officials as they balance competing demands with limited resources.
## The Budget Amendment Maze
The council began by introducing five items for future consideration, including three alternative tax levy proposals that would provide backup options if the executive's proposed budget failed to gain support. Councilmember Donovan explained the strategic importance of these alternatives: "Not hearing any consensus that we're going that way, it's important that we introduce these then and then coordinate what those cuts may be on the 18th."
Before opening the public hearing on the county's $20.9 million budget amendment, council members took an unusual step of previewing their proposed amendments to give the public an opportunity to respond. This procedural innovation sparked immediate debate when Councilmember Byrd raised a point of order, arguing that discussing amendments not yet formally part of the budget document could be improper. "Those would be substantive changes to the budget document and under public comment. They aren't currently a part of the document that the community has been noticed on," Byrd contended.
Attorney Kimberly Thulin clarified that the council could present proposed amendments for transparency as long as they planned to hold the public hearing open for continued discussion. This legal guidance allowed the council to proceed with what Galloway described as operating "in the spirit of transparency.…
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### Meeting Overview
The Whatcom County Council met on November 5, 2025, to consider the county's 2026 budget and related tax levies. The meeting featured extensive public comment on budget priorities, particularly funding for EMS services, food banks, and the Sheriff's Office relocation, with council ultimately deferring final budget decisions to December 2nd.
### Key Terms and Concepts
**Budget Amendment:** Changes proposed by council members to the executive's original budget proposal, including funding shifts between departments and programs.
**Levy:** A tax imposed by the county on property owners to fund specific services like roads, EMS, or conservation programs.
**Bank Capacity:** The difference between what voters have authorized a levy to collect and what is actually being collected, which can be used for additional funding without a new vote.
**Flood Control Zone District:** A special district that collects taxes and manages stormwater and flood control projects throughout the county.
**Conservation Futures:** A program that uses property tax revenue to purchase land or development rights for conservation purposes.
**REET (Real Estate Excise Tax):** A tax collected when property is sold, often used to fund capital projects and infrastructure.
**Community Priorities Fund:** Money from federal pandemic relief programs (ARPA/CARES) set aside for one-time community investments.
**Structural Deficit:** An ongoing imbalance where expenses consistently exceed revenues, requiring either tax increases or spending cuts.
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Kaylee Galloway | Council Chair |
| Todd Donovan | Council Member, Finance Committee Chair |
| Jon Scanlon | Council Member |
| Ben Elenbaas | Council Member |
| Mark Stremler | Council Member |
| Tyler Byrd | Council Member |
| Barry Buchanan | Council Member |
| Donnell Tanksley | Sheriff …
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