Walla Walla Commissioners approve 2026 budget
By Griffin Beach on Wednesday, December 24th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – After weeks of deliberation and several continuations, the Walla Walla County Commissioners have approved the 2026 budget.
County Auditor Karen Martin reported a $3,643,438 difference between projected revenues and expenditures. That figure marks an improvement over the $5.4 million shortfall that was predicted before commissioners requested 5% department cuts in early December.
Commissioner Todd Kimball noted that the county typically carries a gap of $2 million to $3 million, as departments historically do not spend their full budget allocations by year’s end.
Even with the narrowed gap, Commissioner Bertha Clayton remained committed to improving the county’s financial position.
“We continue to hold the line and over time,” Clayton said. “Provided we stay on this path, we’ll be in a much stronger position one to three years from now.”
Commissioner Gunner Fulmer acknowledged the difficulty of the recent negotiations, echoing a sentiment shared by the board throughout the process.
“Every one of our employees are valuable to us, we want give them everything that we can possibly give them,” Fulmer said. “Unfortunately, that’s just not the position we’re in right now.”
The preliminary budget is currently available on the county auditor’s website, with the final approved version expected to be posted soon.
