The 2026 budget hearing is 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, in the chambers of the Board of County Commissioners, 400 Douglas St. in Wenatchee. The board expects to continue the hearing to Dec. 15 to allow for more time to finalize the proposed budget. Join the commissioners in-person or via Zoom.
The Board of County Commissioners recently passed the 2026 preliminary budget, a procedural step in the annual budgeting process.
At this time, the preliminary budget shows 2026 revenues at $58.66 million and expenditures at nearly $61.95 million. The difference is a deficit of about $3.29 million. The preliminary budget is posted on the county’s website.
Cathy Mulhall, Chelan County administrator, described the preliminary budget as a “point in time” during the annual budgeting process.
“The commissioners will continue to have their weekly budget workshops through November as they work to get that deficit down,” Mulhall said. “We are required by state law to pass a preliminary budget. The final budget will not be approved until about mid-December. So the budget is still very much a work in progress.”
With the preliminary budget, the county also agreed to pass a 1 percent increase in property tax collections. The state limits taxing districts to a 1 percent increase annually. The county receives about $15 million in property taxes a year, so the adjustment will mean an additional $150,000.
The county’s goal is to pass a balanced budget every year. In comparison, the 2025 budget projects $55.87 million in revenues and $60.23 million in expenses. The county, which has about $18 million in its reserves, anticipates using about $4.35 million of its reserves to balance the 2025 budget.
Commissioners also recently passed a hiring freeze that is in effect through 2026. The hiring freeze applies to all regular full-time and part-time positions and allows for elected officials or department directors to request an exception for either grant-funded or critical positions that are essential to county operations.
“We’ve had hiring freezes over the years, so this is not a unique measure,” Mulhall said. “It is a proactive move to help us bridge that gap we expect in 2026 while maintaining current staff levels.”
In late November, the county will announce the time and date of the upcoming 2026 budget hearing.
Last Updated: 11/24/2025 03:18 PM
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Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
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The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
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