Walla Walla County adopts 2025 budget amendments; auditor absent, documents to be finalized

The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners closed a public hearing Dec. 29 and approved multiple amendments to the county’s 2025 budget.

Diane and county finance staff summarized the amendments, which include additional election supply costs, increased coroner professional services, corrections adjustments tied to HCA funding and intergovernmental inmate counts (including kitchen costs), Community Development revenue to offset permit expenditures, a $50,000 transfer to prosecutor child support to cover outstanding liabilities, a $250,000 technology services software maintenance increase (to be covered from fund balance), and revisions to risk management transfers to free capital outlay funding. Staff emphasized that the documents presented were preliminary and that Auditor Karen Martin (absent for illness) will finalize balanced documents and attach them to the resolution.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the child‑support arrears and the timing of revenue recognition for the HCA waiver. No members of the public testified on the amendments. The board approved the amendments as modified during the hearing, 3‑0.

Implementation: staff will finalize and file the auditor’s version of the balancing documents, post the updated budget filings, and continue to process 2025 payments through February as typical year‑end activity.