The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners approved the 2026 budget at $650 million at its Dec. 8 meeting, which covers the entire county’s operations.

$137.9 million of the total budget is dedicated to the general fund, which covers law enforcement, courts, staffing, and essential services. It was balanced with a 3% across-the-board cut and a one-time $300,000 drawdown from county reserves, per a news release. The budget goes into effect Jan 1, 2026.

“Every family in Kitsap feels the impact of rising costs. County government is no exception,” said County Commissioner and board chair Christine Rolfes. “County leadership worked hard to design a budget collaboratively to live within our means and protect essential services.”

Last year, the county approved a budget of $609 million and $134 million for the general fund for 2025, per county documents. Earlier in 2025, Kitsap County reported experiencing a $4 million increase in costs, which the county attributed to “inflationary pressures—higher prices for insurance, medical care, jail health services, and other core expenses necessary for the county to operate,” the release says.

The top three largest general fund recipients following the 3% reductions are: Sheriff’s Office ($61 million compared to $58 million in the 2025 budget), Prosecutors’ Office ($12.4 million compared to $12.4 million in the 2025 budget ), and Juvenile Services($9.2 million compared to $9.5 million in the 2025 budget).

The Department of Corrections, which operates the county jail in Port Orchard, preserved three correctional officer positions by allocating funds from the county’s juvenile justice sales tax, which is one-tenth of 1%, Kitsap County spokesperson Krista Carlson said.

“The county has been using a portion of this revenue annually to support jail and juvenile detention operating costs, including staffing, as well as debt service payments from the jail and juvenile facility expansions completed years ago,” she said. “Historically, when this fund has unallocated revenue after meeting those commitments, the county has used it for facility maintenance.”

Due to state grant reimbursements for extraordinary criminal justice costs, the county was also able to extend funding for a human trafficking task force coordinator and a program specialist in pre-trial services, Carlson said.

“All employing officials worked collaboratively to submit budgets that met criteria to help achieve cost reduction targets, with additional focus on creative solutions that minimize impacts to public safety and court functions,” she said.

Carlson said the county is not planning voter-approved tax increases for 2026, adding, “the board is focused on operational efficiencies and living within existing revenue constraints while maintaining essential services residents depend on. However, as costs continue rising faster than revenues, the board will work with departments and community partners to identify more lasting solutions,” she said.

No major service reductions or eliminations are planned in the 2026 budget as the BOC and county leadership aim to minimize impacts of cost reductions while maintaining essential services, Carlson said. The hiring freeze, which the county first implemented June 9, is set to expire Dec. 31, per county documents.

Carlson said the board is evaluating budget management strategies, including staffing approaches for 2026 and no decisions regarding extending the hiring freeze have been made as of Dec. 8, Carlson said. The hiring freeze also eliminated roughly 25 previous full-time vacant positions in the general fund, which the county hopes to bolster efforts to reduce ongoing costs while maintaining services, per the release.

“The board works collaboratively with department heads and elected officials to identify essential services and evaluate how to maintain them within budget constraints. Department leaders provide expertise on operational needs and service delivery impacts, while the board of commissioners makes final budget decisions that balance those needs across all county functions,” Carlson said. “This collaborative approach ensures both operational knowledge and fiscal responsibility to inform the budget process.”