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Home My WebLink About092926 - FW_ WAcounties Weekly _ September 25_ 2026 From: Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) <info@wsac.org> Sent: Friday, September 25, 2026 10:10 AM To: Heidi Eisenhour <HEisenhour@co.jefferson.wa.us> Subject: WAcounties Weekly | September 25, 2026 ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. September 25, 2026 COUNTY NEWS Prosecutors are Facing a 'Dire' Staffing Shortage September 25, 2026 <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/0> COUNTY NEWS Prosecutors are Facing a ‘Dire’ Staffing Shortage in Franklin County A lack of attorneys in the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office has deputies pleading with commissioners for help. But the future for the department remains uncertain as officials try to determine how to address a staffing shortage that is delaying cases or leading to less serious charges. It may result in cases never being filed. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/1> WSAC POLICY NEWS IMPORTANT – HB 2442 Update, Child & Family Services Local Option Sales Tax As you continue working on developing your county budgets, you may be looking to implement the new local option sales tax for child and family services, which was recently enacted in HB 2442 (2026). We want you to be aware of a likely change to the law that will be considered by the 2027 legislature. Section 2 of the bill <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/2> authorizes local governments to implement a new .01% (one-hundredth of one percent) sales tax for certain child and family services. However, the original intent was to implement a new 0.1% (one-tenth of one percent) local option sales tax. We have spoken with House leadership on the issue, and they agree with the original intent assumption and believe the mistake was due to a simple scrivener’s error. The new authority allows local governments to impose a new tax of up to 0.01% to benefit child and family services. If you don’t wait to impose this new tax until the legislature takes action to correct the error, you’ll need to take action again in the future to increase it to a higher level. If you have any questions or need further information, please reach out to WSAC’s policy team <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/3> . COUNTY NEWS Pierce County Invests $300k in Training Programs at Technical College As part of a broader effort to connect people with learning and career opportunities in the trades, Pierce County is giving a $300,000 grant to Clover Park Technical College. “I firmly believe that when we're able to help more families be more stable because they have access to careers and jobs that pay the bills, everyone succeeds. And it's a great investment for us when we can play our role,” said Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/4> CONFERENCE NEWS <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/5> Join WSAC for the Largest Gathering of County Leaders in the State! Registration is still open for WSAC’s largest event of the year: County Leaders! Held in Pierce County this November, the conference will host close to 300 elected/appointed officials, department heads, affiliate groups, and solution partners from across the state for three days of education, collaboration, and fun. Attendees can look forward to relevant learning sessions, keynote presentations, and off-site networking events, like County Night Out at Foss Waterway Seaport. The conference will culminate with Thursday’s highly anticipated Awards Luncheon, where the winners of this year’s County Impact Awards will be announced and recognized. Check out the preliminary conference agenda <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/6> to see all that's in store! register <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/7> COUNTY NEWS $25 Million Upgrade to Thurston County Waste Facility Will Address Traffic Issues Thurston County’s only solid waste disposal facility will see big improvements by the end of 2028 under a $24.6 million contract. The Board of County Commissioners approved the $24.6 million contract with Forma Construction of Olympia and TCF Architecture of Tacoma. Before the vote, Thurston County Public Works director Karen Weiss said the facility will be reconfigured and expanded to reduce ongoing maintenance issues and increase the facility’s capacity. These efforts are expected to reduce wait times and make navigation easier for customers as well, according to the project website. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/8> STATE NEWS Washington High-Elevation Creeks Nominated for Stronger Protections Tribal and state leaders in Washington state are calling for a handful of high-elevation creeks in the North Cascades to be protected to preserve sources of clean drinking water, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation. The Washington Department of Ecology is in the process of determining whether four nominated waterways should receive the Outstanding Resource Waters designation, which would prohibit things like mining or development. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/9> COUNTY NEWS Clallam County Parks Plan Faces Funding Challenge Clallam County has an ambitious list of park improvements for the next decade, but paying for them could be the biggest challenge. County commissioners reviewed the proposed 2027-to-2037 Parks Comprehensive Plan during their Monday work session. The plan identifies just over one-million dollars in near-term capital projects. But proposed spending climbs sharply in years four through six — to about 10-and-a-half-million dollars. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/10> CONFERENCE NEWS <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/11> Want to Speak to Over 200 Attendees at Once? Sponsor WSAC's Opening Luncheon! Exhibit tables may be sold out at WSAC’s largest event of the year, but you can still join the exhibitor waitlist! If you don’t want to chance it, reserving one of our remaining sponsorships will guarantee your spot at the event and provide sponsorship recognition, complimentary attendee registrations, logo placement, and more. The Opening Luncheon, WSAC’s premier sponsorship opportunity, provides maximum exposure, allowing the sponsor to address all conference attendees for 15 minutes while your company logo is prominently displayed. Marketing materials may also be distributed to attendees during the Opening Luncheon. Reserve our top sponsorship or explore the other great opportunities still available before they’re gone! RESERVE SPONSORSHIP <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/12> COUNTY NEWS Finding Our North Star: Skagit County’s Call to Action on Housing Can Washington’s housing crisis be solved when cities act together? Under the North Star initiative, Skagit County and its largest cities want to boost regional housing by adopting recommended development measures and tools, such as 'by-right' permitting. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/13> COUNTY NEWS Lewis County Public Health Building to Be Modernized With State Money The Lewis County Public Health and Social Services building in Chehalis has long been in need of an upgrade. Soon, it will get one thanks to a $1.5 million direct allocation from the state's 2026 supplemental capital budget secured in large part by state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Chehalis. The 19,000-square-foot building completed in 1953 is well on its way to having a full heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for the first time ever. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/14> <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/15> STATE NEWS Washington State Broadband Office Signs Seven Contracts to Begin Connecting Unserved and Underserved Communities The Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) has finalized agreements with seven awardees under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The agreements mark a major milestone in Washington's effort to close the digital divide, enabling construction to connect thousands of unserved and underserved locations across the state. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/16> COUNTY NEWS Snohomish County Elections Wins National Eagle Award for SnoBat Ballot Tracking Snohomish County Elections received a national award for its tracking system it built with the county’s IT department, a platform now used to follow voted ballots from the moment they arrive until results are certified. The National Association of Election Officials, known as Election Center, presented the 2026 Professional Practices Eagle Award on August 20 at its 41st annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The award recognizes innovation in election administration and the use of technology. READ MORE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/17> <https://members.wsac.org/emailimages/1705611441075-425944.png> Upcoming Events TUE 13 October 13 SentinelOne Lunch & Learn <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/18> Webinar | Free | 12 PM PT TUE 17 NOVEMBER 17-19 County Leaders Conference <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/19> Pierce County | $550 for Active County Staff <https://members.wsac.org/emailimages/1705613037920-355671.png> NEW WSAC MEMBER? Sign into The Hub for county resources & more ways to connect! SIGN IN HERE <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/21> <https://wsac.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/WSAC_Legislative_Icons_2021-Social.png> LATEST Job Openings THURSTON COUNTY Water Resources Manager <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/22> $8,630 – $11,352/Yr KITSAP COUNTY Public Works Assistant Director - County Engineer <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/23> $138,956.67 - $177,770.45/Yr <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/25> <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/26> WSAC Platinum Partner We’re an integrated design firm. Our promise is to elevate the human experience through design. This inspires a culture of design and fuels the work we do around the world. We are 100 percent employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients’ success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary employee-owner teams, engaged with all project life-cycle stakeholders. FOLLOW US <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/28> FACEBOOK <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/29> LINKEDIN <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/30> BSKY <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/31> INSTAGRAM <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/32> WEBSITE This is a message from Washington State Association of Counties <https://flight.us.toucantech.online/track/click/a4709903-51cc-4182-a083-6dfcd31b8c12/33> Having trouble reading this email? 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