GOLDENDALE — It was a good news, bad news story Sept. 2 as County Auditor Heather Jobe presented the preliminary 2026 budget to Klickitat County Commissioners at their morning workshop session.
The good news: Early figures showed a beginning shortfall just half as much as last year’s.
The bad news: The deficit was still $2.5 million, a figure that will have to be made up by increasing revenue or cutting budgets.
Chair Ron Ihrig said the appreciated all the departments trying to hold the line, but there were other expenses the county couldn’t control.
“Like, when our juveniles contract with NORCOR went up 6%, you have to include that,” he said. “And our insurance — we’re estimating [an increase of] 20%, and the departments don’t have any control over that. How we’re going to manage it all, I’m not sure.”
In the afternoon session, commissioners approved a six-month extension to the current Battery Energy Storage Systems moratorium in the county. Several local people testified in favor of the extension and no one was opposed.
Commissioners also approved a road haul contract for Bluebird Solar Power, LLC. Back in January, the company received permits for a 670 acre solar farm in a footprint of 1,700 acres on leased property 26 miles east of Goldendale. County Public Works Director Jeff Hunter said the contract was a necessary safeguard to protect the county.
“Any big industrial project, not just green energy, has to go through a road haul agreement with the county to use our roads,” he said. “Because years ago, before this took place, they damaged some of our roads pretty badly.”
Jobe was back in the afternoon session, asking for permission to spend $61,000 remaining from a government grant before she had to return the balance. Here’s what she told commissioners:
“One of the things we’d like to spend it on are these little GPS trackers that go inside the ballot boxes, and then also put them in our ballot collection bags. Anytime that the door to the ballot box is opened, I will get an alert that says, ‘Hey, y’know, something’s funny.’ It also senses temperature, so if there’s a significant change in temperature, it will give me an alert that says, ‘Your box is on fire.’”
Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved:
• A recording software and service agreement with Tyler Technologies for the Auditor’s Office.
• A local agency agreement for Snowden Road overlay project, CRP 387
• A local agency federal aid project prospectus for the Snowden Road overlay project,CRP 387.
• A resolution to approve the Sleepy Hollow Road phase 1 project, CRP 389
and amend the 2025 annual construction program
• A notice to contractors to advertise for the curve warning signs and guidepost project, CRP 381.
• An Easy Vote software agreement for the Auditor’s office.
• Consolidated contract amendment no. 7 Klickitat County Health Department 2025-2027
• Washington State allocation agreement governing the allocation of funds paid by the Purdue bankruptcy, the Sackler family, and certain opioid manufacturers and participation and release forms.
• A road haul agreement between Klickitat County and Bluebird Solar Power, LLC
• A letter of support for proposed changes to National Scenic Area Management Plan to make it easier for residents who lost their homes in recent fires to rebuild.
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