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June 12, 2026 COUNTY NEWS King County Public Defenders Join Lawsuit Against
June 12, 2026
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COUNTY NEWS
King County Public Defenders Join Lawsuit Against Washington for Funding
For years, public defenders have reasoned and pleaded with Washington lawmakers to address a crisis in the courts by dramatically increasing what the state spends to provide attorneys
for poor people. But the lawmakers haven't taken much action. So now, Seattle-area defenders are suing. To be precise, the King County Department of Public Defense is joining a lawsuit
by rural counties that's already in progress.
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COUNTY NEWS
Thurston County Faces ‘Catastrophic’ Budget Cut. Staff Have a Plan to Lessen the Blow
Thurston County services will be affected by more budget cuts over the next several years under a new plan. The Board of County Commissioners reviewed a proposal to spread out budget
cuts through 2029 during a Wednesday work session in Olympia.
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COUNTY NEWS
Clallam County Weighs Push for Local Control of Transfer Lands
Clallam County commissioners are considering whether to support a statewide effort that could give counties more authority over state-managed transfer timberlands. Commissioner Randy
Johnson, who serves on the Washington State Association of Counties Timber Counties Caucus, said the discussion centers on roughly 600,000 acres of state transfer lands statewide. Those
lands were originally acquired by counties through tax foreclosures and later transferred to state management.
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WSAC NEWS
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COUNTY NEWS
Chestnut Fire Near Chelan Butte Drops to 1,500 Acres, 50% Contained
Fire officials said the fire behavior eased after winds dropped and temperatures cooled. Multiple aircraft also helped slow the fire’s spread. After an infrared flight this morning,
Chelan Fire and Rescue lowered the fire estimate to 1,500 acres. Containment is at 50%. Chelan Falls is under a Level 2 evacuation advisory.
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COUNTY NEWS
Chelan County Enters Third Week of Disruptions With No Recovery Timeline
Chelan County entered its third week of system-wide disruptions Monday following a malware incident discovered over Memorial Day weekend, with officials saying they still do not have
a timeline for restoring affected systems. The county continues to work with third-party specialists to determine the nature and scope of the incident and to safely restore operations.
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COUNTY NEWS
Kitsap County Sheriff and Four KCSO Leadership Members Resigning June 26
After previously announcing he would be retiring at the end of his term this year, Kitsap County Sheriff John Gese and four other members of the department’s leadership team will be
resigning June 26, a statement from the sheriff says. The sheriff said Clithero, Gundrum, and Birkenfield are retiring due to a pension program that provides financial incentive to
retire by the end of June, while Dutenhoeffer is leaving for a job out of state.
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PARTNER NEWS
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COUNTY NEWS
Spokane County Commission to Consider Public Safety Sales Tax That Wouldn’t Need Voter Approval
Spokane County leaders will consider boosting the sales tax to help fund criminal justice efforts as budgetary woes deepen. The Spokane County Commission is set to vote Tuesday afternoon
on an application that would allow the board to enact a 0.1% sales tax without voter approval. The funding mechanism was introduced into state law in 2025, as part of an effort to increase
public safety funding.
The county is facing another tough budgeting cycle, on the heels of closing an estimated $20 million deficit heading into 2026. The board opted to close the gap primarily by eliminating
around 120 mostly vacant positions.
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COUNTY NEWS
Survey Response Requested: Stepping Up 2.0 for Rural Counties
NACo has partnered with researchers from George Mason University and Michigan State University on a long-running evaluation of the Stepping Up Initiative, which helps counties reduce
the number of people with mental illness cycling through local jails. Their research has shown that smaller counties face distinct challenges and often have fewer resources to address
them.
To help, we are supporting the research team's application for a National Institutes of Health grant that would provide free, hands-on technical assistance to smaller counties to reduce
the number of people with mental illnesses in jails. To strengthen their application, they need to demonstrate interest from county leaders.
We're asking you to fill out a short survey detailing your county and briefly sharing more info on how your county is dealing with behavioral health in your justice system. It takes
only a few minutes and is not a commitment of any kind.
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CITY NEWS
Association of Washington Cities Salary & Benefits Survey to Close Soon!
Each year, AWC conducts a comprehensive survey of salaries and benefits provided to city and county employees. The survey is an important AWC service and provides city and county officials
with comparable data to assist them in determining wages and benefits for their staff. The 2026 Salary & Benefit Survey was open for county submissions through Friday, June 19.
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CLARK COUNTY
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$53.02 – $53.02/Hr
KITSAP COUNTY
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$138,956.67 - $177,770.45/Yr
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406=0.66;407=0.83;408=0.74;409=0.94;410=0.97;411=0.01;412=0.08;413=0.03;414=0.49;415=0.31;416=0.29;417=0.08;418=0.03;419=0.03;420=0.01;421=0.01;422=0;423=2026;424=6;425=1;426=0;427=0;428=0