Union County commissioners approve $69 million budget for 2026-27
Commissioners approved a just-over-$69 million budget for 2026-27, about 2% below last year’s plan, before the county’s July 1 fiscal reset.
Union County commissioners voted 3-0 on Wednesday, June 24, to adopt a fiscal year 2026-27 budget of just more than $69 million, setting the county’s spending plan before the new fiscal year begins July 1. The move gives Union County a smaller total budget than the $70.3 million adopted for 2025-26, reversing last year’s increase and locking in the county’s financial direction for the year ahead.
For residents, the vote matters because it establishes the framework for county operations, appropriations and tax decisions under Oregon’s local budget law. The county’s June 24 meeting included public hearings on the 4-H & Extension Service District budget, the Solid Waste District budget and the county budget itself, showing that the final package covered more than one part of local government. Resolution 2026-07, titled In the Matter of Adopting the Union County Budget, was listed on the agenda as the formal step to approve the plan.
The hearing began at 9 a.m. at 1106 K Avenue in La Grande. Public comments for the meeting were accepted by email ahead of the hearing, with a June 22 deadline. The county’s budget committee had already met on May 19 and May 20 to discuss the FY 2026-27 budget before commissioners took up the final vote in late June.
The June 24 agenda also included a drought declaration recommendation, a transfer of appropriated funds and several contracts and agreements, putting the budget action alongside other county business. Union County’s budget page lists Shelley Burgess in Administrative Services, along with commissioners Paul Anderes, Matt Scarfo and Jake Seavert, as the county’s budget contacts and leadership.
Union County also keeps budget documents archived for multiple prior fiscal years, allowing the 2026-27 plan to be compared with earlier budgets. That record shows the county adopted a $70.3 million budget for 2025-26 on June 25, 2025, after a year-over-year increase that had been described as roughly 9 percent. The new vote leaves Union County with a leaner spending plan for the year that starts July 1.
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