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Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee

WHA-FAS-2025-06-24 June 24, 2025 Budget & Finance Committee Whatcom County
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The Whatcom County Finance and Administrative Services Committee met for an intensive 1 hour and 41 minute session that highlighted the county's ongoing financial challenges and ambitious policy agenda. The meeting processed $46.4 million in contracts and agreements through a 19-item consent agenda, with most items focused on homeless services, housing programs, and behavioral health initiatives funded largely by state and federal grants. The most significant item was a heated discussion about the county's Behavioral Health Fund crisis, which faces a structural deficit of approximately $2 million annually and is projected to go negative by the end of 2026 without intervention. The executive's proposed solution involves eliminating vacant positions, transferring $1 million from the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Fund, and approving a $1.5 million budget supplemental to cover school-based mental health contracts through 2026. Council Member Tyler Byrd emerged as a strong critic of the administration's financial management, questioning the practice of "borrowing" from other funds to cover overcommitments and expressing frustration about the county's pattern of reactive rather than proactive budgeting. The committee ultimately approved the $1.5 million supplemental on a 2-1 vote, with Byrd dissenting. The session also addressed the ongoing challenge of emergency medical services at Galbraith Mountain, where South Whatcom Fire Authority seeks compensation for out-of-jurisdiction responses that have increased from 3-4 calls annually to over 30 per year due to growing recreational use.

**Consent Agenda (19 items) - All approved 3-0:** - AB2025-444: $7.27 million for Opportunity Council rental assistance program - AB2025-467: $2.01 million amendment for Opportunity Council housing case management - AB2025-473: $3.41 million for Opportunity Council Housing and Essential Needs Program - AB2025-468: $6.13 million interlocal with Washington State DSHS for developmental disabilities services - AB2025-448: $2.90 million for Whatcom Agricultural Research Station acquisition from Port of Bellingham - AB2025-465: $1.35 million six-month extension for jail nursing services with No…

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**Behavioral Health Fund Crisis:** The most substantive policy discussion centered on a structural financial crisis in the county's Behavioral Health Fund. Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bresler presented a comprehensive analysis showing how the fund moved from collecting and spending $5-6 million annually (2018-2022) to experiencing significant deficits driven by three-year school-based mental health contracts initiated in 2023. The fund faces a $2 million annual structural deficit and is projected to go negative by end of 2026 without intervention. The administration's multi-pronged solution includes: eliminating most vacant positions in the fund, negotiating modest reductions with school districts, transferring $1 million from the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Fund (using property tax millage revenue rather than sales tax), and requiring the department to submit a balanced budget by 2027. Council Member Tyler Byrd challenged this approach, arguing it represents a pattern of reactive financial management and questioning whether the county has adequate visibility into other funds' health. He advocated for terminating the school contracts early rather than "patching" the problem with transfers from other funds. **Housing and Homelessness Services Accountability:** Counc…
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**Ann Beck, Community Health & Human Services Manager:** Strongly advocated for continuing school-based mental health programs, emphasizing the community crisis with six youth experiencing suicide attempts or overdoses in recent months. She argued the school contracts were designed to end in June 2026 and the Mental Health millage fund can absorb the $1 million transfer without significant impact. **Council Member Tyler Byrd:** Emerged as the primary fiscal hawk, opposing the behavioral health fund supplemental and expressing frustration with the county's pattern of reactive financial management. He argued for terminating over-committed programs rather than transferring funds between accounts, citing concerns about the county's 25% staff increase and 57% expense growth over 6.5 year…
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**Ann Beck, on youth mental health crisis:** "We've had six youth that have either experienced suicide death by, you know, attempted suicide or overdoses in recent months." **Council Member Tyler Byrd, on financial management:** "In the last six and a half years, we've increased staffing FTEs in the county in the last six and a half years by over 25%. Our expenses have gone up by 57%. That's huge." **Council Member Tyler Byrd, on fund transfers:** "We're doing more and more of those across t…
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**July 8, 2025:** Budget supplemental for $1 million transfer from Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Fund to Behavioral Health Fund **July 2025 (second meeting):** Expected presentation of Galbraith Mountain interlocal agreement with City of Bellingham **December 31, 2025:** End date for Northwest Regional Council jail nursing services contract; new provider must be in place **June 2026:** School-based mental hea…

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The county moved from having no formal financial strategy for the Behavioral Health Fund crisis to adopting a multi-part "bridge solution" involving position eliminations, fund transfers, and budget supplementals. This represents a shift from crisis mode to managed transition, though fundamental structural problems remain unresolved. The committee established a precedent for more aggressive oversight of contracted services effectiveness, with Council Members demanding specific performance metrics and questioning whethe…
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## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Finance and Administrative Services Committee convened on June 24, 2025, for what would prove to be a consequential meeting addressing mounting financial pressures across county funds. Committee Chair Todd Donovan presided over the 1 hour 41 minute session that included all committee members — Barry Buchanan and Tyler Byrd — along with several other council members attending as observers. The morning began routinely with a substantial consent agenda of 19 items totaling millions in contracts and agreements. But the meeting's tenor shifted dramatically when discussion turned to systemic budget challenges threatening core county services. Two major issues dominated: a brewing crisis in the Behavioral Health Fund that required immediate intervention, and ongoing negotiations over emergency medical services at Galbraith Mountain. ## Scrutinizing Housing and Behavioral Health Contracts Council member Mark Stremler launched the meeting's most intensive discussion by questioning standardized "program outputs and outcomes reporting requirements" that had been added to three housing contracts with Lydia Place. What began as a technical inquiry about contract language evolved into a fundamental examination of whether the county's $15 million annual investment in homelessness services was working. "I guess I'd really like to see that happening, to see if these organizations are successful at what they say they're attempting to do," Stremler said, voicing frustration that resonated with colleagues about the effectiveness of long-standing programs. Ann Beck, Community Health and Human Services Manager, defended the investments while acknowledging the challenges. "We are constantly trying to figure out how to improve the system," she said. "We're definitely not status quo." She pointed to recent data showing 96% of clients exiting Opportunity Council's case management programs moved to permanent housing, and 90% of Lydia Place e…
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### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee met on June 24, 2025, to review 19 contracts on consent agenda, discuss emergency response funding at Galbraith Mountain, and address a structural budget crisis in the Behavioral Health Fund requiring immediate financial intervention. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Behavioral Health Fund:** County fund supported by a 1/10 of 1% sales tax passed in 2008 for mental health and chemical dependency programs, now experiencing a $2 million annual structural deficit. **Consolidated Homeless Grant:** State funding from Department of Commerce with specific guidelines that dictates much of the language in county housing contracts. **Evidence-based practices:** Programs with proven research showing effectiveness, such as permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing, which the county adapts to local conditions. **Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Fund:** Separate county fund supported by property tax millage that has been building reserves and is proposed to help fund school mental health contracts. **Point-in-time count:** Annual census of homeless individuals used to track homelessness trends, which has remained relatively stable despite people moving in and out of the system. **Emergency authorization:** Executive power to approve contracts during crises, but requires Council approval within 90 days under county code. **Galbraith Mountain:** Popular mountain bike park in unincorporated county with recreational easement held by Bellingham, creating a "hole" in fire district coverage requiring costly emergency responses. **School-based mental health expansion contracts:** Three-year agreements initiated in 2023 to address post-pandemic youth mental health crisis, scheduled to end June 2026. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Todd Donovan | Committee Chair | | Tyler Byrd | Committee Member | | Barry Buchanan | Committee Member | | Kayla Schott-Bresler | Deputy County Executive | | Ann Beck | Health and Community Services Manager | | Ashley Geleynse | Housing Program Specialist | | Mitch Nolze | Fire Chief, South Whatcom Fire Authority | | …
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Budget & Finance Social Services Housing Government Operations AB 2025 451 AB 2025 453 AB 2025 477 Behavioral Health Advisory Committee Catholic Community Services City Of Bellingham Lydia Place Northwest Regional Council Opportunity Council Port Of Bellingham South Whatcom Fire Authority Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group Aly Pennucci Ann Beck Ashley Geleynse Barry Buchanan Christopher Quinn Julie Anderson Kayla Schott Bresler Mark Stremler Melissa Keeley Mitch Nolze Steve Harris Todd Donovan Tyler Byrd Behavioral Health Budget Finance Contract Accountability Emergency Medical Services Evidence Based Practices Fund Transfers Galbraith Mountain Homelessness Housing Jail Services Mental Health Point In Time Count School Based Services Youth Mental Health