ARTICLE
Earlier this month, HBA petitioned Washington County Commissioners in this letter, supporting the county’s Land Use and Transportation (LUT) department budget request strategy to stabilize staff levels for planning and building services. Following discussions with HBA, LUT’s financial update work session with the commission proposed a combination of expenditure reductions, external funding, targeted fee increases and reserve spending to maintain staffing. This staff continuity will support reduced permitting timelines and allow the department to be nimble as the economy recovers and development activity picks up. HBA will continue to promote measures to help close anticipated fiscal gaps in the current planning and building services programs for this and subsequent fiscal years. To learn more about HBA's involvement in Washington County, contact Roseann Johnson at roseannj@hbapdx.org.