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2026-10-14 MINUTES 1
KITTITAS COUNTY
2026 BUDGET MEETING MINUTES
BOCC AUDITORIUM, 205 WEST 5TH ROOM 109 - ELLENSBURG
WEDNESDAY 2:30 PM OCTOBER 14, 2026
Board members present: Chairman Brett Wachsmith, Commissioner Jeff Leichleiter, Commissioner
Laura Osiadacz
Staff Present: Zack DeHaven, Bryan Elliott, Sue Patterson, Greg Zempel, Jodi
Hammond, Elishia Harvill, Sarah Keith, Emily Brown, Stephanie George,
Pat Gigstead, Karen Bowen, Katrina Mankus, Kari Elkins, Eileen Murphy,
Tasha Potter, Julie Kjorvik (Webex) Mandy Buchholz (Webex) Kara
Lesarge (Webex)
Public-1
1. Call to Order: 2:30PM
2. Citizen Comments – None
3. 2027 Preliminary Budget meetings with CJPS
Zack DeHaven presented a General Fund update and 2027 strategic priorities. The preliminary
2027 General Fund budget reflects a projected paper deficit of approximately $3.6 million,
including an estimated structural deficit of $1.5 million after vacancy savings. He noted financial
pressures from compensation growth exceeding recurring revenue, growing service demands,
deferred infrastructure needs, and rising insurance costs. A hiring freeze was enacted October 13,
2026. Proposed strategies include achieving a net-zero structural deficit, prioritizing core
services, evaluating staffing and service levels, maximizing technology and operational
efficiencies, strategically using reserves, and addressing critical capital infrastructure needs.
Zack DeHaven presented an overview of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety (CJPS) family
budget, which consolidates the County’s courts, prosecution, public defense, probation, law
enforcement support, 911, and related functions to evaluate total costs, staffing, service levels,
and opportunities for coordination. The preliminary 2027 CJPS budget is $19.2 million,
including $12.6 million from the General Fund, with increased costs primarily driven by
personnel, public safety service demands, 911 operations, prosecutor staffing, and public defense
caseload requirements. CJPS revenue is projected at $3.8 million, including increased cost-
recovery and shared-staffing efforts.
2026-10-14 MINUTES 2
Zack DeHaven presented the preliminary 2027 Criminal Justice and Public Safety budgets,
including department-level operating costs, staffing requests, capital needs, and restricted fund
projections.
Zack DeHaven concluded the Criminal Justice and Public Safety budget presentation by noting
that the preliminary 2027 budgets reflect continuing personnel, benefit, insurance, and service-
cost pressures across the departments. Several restricted funds are projected to operate with
deficits and will require ongoing monitoring, while departments will continue to evaluate service
levels, staffing needs, and available revenue sources.
KITTITAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Sue Patterson
Auditor’s Office
Brett Wachsmith, Chairman