Whatcom County to set ‘immediate austerity measures’ amid looming budget crisis
Severe cost-saving steps are coming soon as Whatcom County faces multi-million deficits over the next two years, officials said Tuesday morning.
Deputy Executive Kayla Schott-Bressler delivered a gloomy forecast Tuesday during a presentation to the County Council on the preliminary 2027-2028 budget.
“The executive plans to announce immediate austerity measures later this week,” Schott-Bressler told the council’s Finance and Administrative Services Committee. She didn’t elaborate.
Schott-Bressler and Finance Director Randy Rydel told the committee that without cuts of 7% to 10%, the council is facing General Fund deficits of $8.3 million in 2027 and $14.3 million in 2028.
Just last week, Sidhu sent an email to all county employees, warning that layoffs or employee “schedule adjustments” might be needed to balance the books in the next two-year budget cycle.
The Executive’s Office typically presents its two-year budget in the fall of even-numbered years, and the County Council reviews the spending plan and votes on it in late November or early December.
Whatcom County had a nearly $700 million budget for 2025-2026, which resulted in the lifting of a hiring freeze that was instituted in 2024 amid a projected $15 million deficit. The county had 1,000 employees in 2025, and was the fifth-largest employer, according to a Western Washington University report. Its current workforce totals 1,154 people, including 13 part-time workers, according to previous Bellingham Herald reporting.
Rydel told the council that the county is trying to weather a double-whammy of rising inflation and lower tax revenues, particularly sales taxes. He said that budget officials were aiming for a soft landing rather than a crash amid a turbulent economy.
“We’re trying to give ourselves a bigger cushion,” Rydel said.
