‘Brutal’ budget has Thurston Co. Clerk working nights, weekends. County has plan
Thurston County has a plan to partially reopen counter service at its short-staffed Clerk’s Office, but the elected Clerk is remaining cautious.
“I’m struggling beyond greatly,” Clerk Linda Myhre Enlow told The Olympian Thursday. “I want to believe that something will happen. Until It's for sure, it's hard for me to embrace it.”
Enlow closed her counter service as well as a domestic violence program in January that helped walk victims through seeking a protection order, citing budget and staff constraints, The Olympian previously reported. She said the lack of counter service has disrupted the public’s ability to get in-person help with a range of complex court processes, such as correctly filing and requesting appropriate court documents in family law matters.
To address the problem, the Board of County Commissioners has identified money in the county budget to pay for counter service on a “part-time basis,” the county announced in a Wednesday news release.
“The Board remains focused on finding budgetary solutions that restore vital in-person services to our residents – if on a modified or incremental basis,” Commissioner and Board Chair Tye Menser said in the release. “We recognize that implementing these changes requires working through operational and administrative details, but the necessary funding framework is now in place and ready to support this service priority.”
The county’s release did not include Enlow. When reached for comment, Enlow said she did not want to be part of the board’s news release because she felt it misrepresented the situation.
“It just gave the impression that this is all resolved and it’s going to be hunky-dory, which is not the case,” Enlow said. “I’m not ready to put my stamp on it 100% until I know for certain that I have the money to actually hire staff to open my counter.”
Where is the money coming from?
The money shift is part of a budget amendment that the board is expected to vote on June 2, according to the county’s news release. If approved, the money should be immediately available to the Clerk’s Office, the release states.
A day after the release was issued, Enlow said she’s uncertain how much money her office may get.
“If there is enough for one (full-time-equivalent) position, I could partially reopen the main office, but it’s still a drop in the bucket compared to what I truly need to open fully,” Enlow said.
The Olympian asked the county to clarify where the money is coming from and how much is being shifted. In an emailed statement Thursday, county spokesperson Susan Melnyk said about $200,000 will come from the Clerk’s existing budget.
When offices and departments have unspent funds at the end of the year, those funds must be returned to the general fund balance, Melnyk said. She likened the general fund balance to the county’s savings account.
“Historically and consistently, the Clerk’s office has more than $200,000 in unspent funds,” Melnyk said. The Board has earmarked that amount for counter staff and authorized it to be reverted back to her budget.”
The Clerk’s Office previously offered counter service at the Thurston County Courthouse on Lakeridge Drive Southwest in Olympia as well as the Family and Juvenile Court on 32nd Avenue in Tumwater.
It’s unclear when counter service may resume if the budget amendment is approved. Specific operational plans, staffing adjustments and possible dates are still being reviewed internally, the release states.
“One counter position will be funded immediately after the amendment with a second counter position funded by any additional amount remaining at the end of the year,” Melnyk said. “We see a solution in sight, however we are all relying on the Clerk to collaborate and implement.”
Budget woes continue to affect county
The counter service closure came after the Board of County Commissioners approved a $1 billion 2026-2027 budget in December. Last year, the board narrowed a $36 million general fund deficit to about $9.8 million and made cuts to various offices and departments to fill the remaining gap.
The Clerk’s Office was hit with a $777,478 cut to its general fund allocation, leaving it with a $4.3 million budget.
Enlow said she has been working nights and weekends to keep the Clerk’s Office going, and her managers are overwhelmed. She called the situation “brutal.”
“This is a sad state of affairs that this county has not provided adequate funding for an elected official to do her job,” Enlow said. “It’s their mandated duty to provide adequate funding to all of the elected official offices.”
The Olympian asked Commissioner Menser to respond to Enlow’s comments, but he said he was unavailable. Melnyk responded in his stead.
“It’s a tough economic season for the County, the state and for many people in our community,” Melnyk said. “People are tightening their belts. And here at the County, our offices and departments are too. They’re changing the way they’ve always done things to be more efficient. They’re collaborating with other offices and departments to reduce costs. It’s about keeping community services running.”
In its release, the county blamed its budget challenges on reduced state and federal funding, unfunded mandates, flattening tax revenues and rising costs.
Recent projections show an estimated $18.6-30.9 million deficit for 2027, Melnyk shared with The Olympian earlier this month. That number should be clearer after the budget amendment is adopted in June.
“Our Board is helping County leaders navigate budgetary challenges by rethinking operations, cultivating funding partnerships and keeping the focus where it belongs: on protecting services our community relies on,” County Manager Leonard Hernandez said in the Wednesday release.
When asked about the board’s long-term plan to fund the Clerk’s Office, Melnyk reiterated that the board is working to find efficiencies as well as more state and federal funding. However, she admitted that more cuts are likely.
“And realistically – we expect more budget reductions across the County,” Melnyk said. “Tax revenues remain flat. The governor and the Office of Financial Management are continuing to report funding shortfalls.”
Enlow is retiring at the end of her term this year. She said this is not how she hoped to spend her last year as Clerk.
“I care about the public,” Enlow said. “This is not easy, and that’s why I’m working so hard, because I care.”
While counter service is still closed, the public can access public terminals to view documents and online services are available on the Clerk’s website.
The Clerk currently makes $147,936 a year, which is the same as county commissioners.
Will the domestic violence program return?
The domestic violence program also may be revived at a later date. Enlow said she’s optimistic her office may reach an agreement with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to bring back the program.
When reached for comment, PAO chief of staff Christy Peters confirmed a plan is in the works.
“The PAO is exploring a plan to take on the Clerk’s Domestic Violence Program which provides assistance to victims seeking Civil Protection Orders and access to other victim resources,” Peters said.
In support of this opportunity, the Board of County Commissioners has allocated positions to the PAO to allow for continuity of domestic violence services and support for victims once a transition plan is created.”
Peters said she could not respond to questions about how the agreement would work due to the ongoing exploration process.
This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
