Washington County Budget
Mandates and Core Functions
2026 Budget Presentations
- 2026 Adopted Budget (PDF).
- 2026 Internal Services Recommended Budget (PDF).
- 2026 Public Works Department Recommended Budget (PDF).
- 2026 Regional Rail Authority and Gold Line Recommended Budget (PDF).
- 2026 Recommended Budget - Public Health and Environment (PDF).
- 2026 Recommended Budget - Community Corrections (PDF).
- 2026 Recommended Budget - Community Services (PDF).
- 2026 Recommended Budget - Library and Law Library (PDF).
- 2026 Recommended Budget - Property Records and Taxpayer Services (PDF).
- 2026 Recommended Budget - Attorney's Office (PDF).
- 2026 Recommended Budget - Sheriff's Office.
2025 Adopted Operating and Capital Budget
Revenues for use by Washington County come from many different sources, affected by an array of outside agencies, including state and federal legislation and financial changes. County growth, historical and current trends, and potential legislative changes are considered when estimating county revenues.
2025 Major Revenue Sources $361,627,700
| Color Key | Major Revenue Category | Percentage | Revenue sources |
|---|---|---|---|
Green | Property Taxes | 39% | ($141.1 million) Amount that is collected from property owners to support the county budget ($139.3M), the Land & Water Legacy Program ($1.2M), and the Regional Rail budget ($660,000). |
Blue | Intergovernmental Revenue | 27% | ($96.3 million) Funds received from state, federal, or city governments for specific projects or programs. |
Dark Blue | Other Taxes | 12% | ($43.3 million) Consist of transportation sales tax, county environmental charges, wheelage tax, and other miscellaneous taxes. |
Lime Green | Fees for Services | 7% | ($25.1 million) Revenues generated from charges for services the county provides. |
Yellow | Miscellaneous Revenues | 6% | ($22.2 million) Revenues not accounted for in other categories, such as interest earnings on the county’s investments, rent revenues, collections, donations and contributions, and revenues received from fines and penalties imposed for statutory offenses. |
Light Blue | County Program Aid | 4% | ($14.4 million) General purpose aid given to the county by the State of Minnesota and is intended to reduce property taxes for individual taxpayers. |
Light Green | Other Financing Sources | 4% | ($12.7 million) Includes use of bond proceeds and planned use of fund balance. |
Purple | Licenses and Permits | 2% | ($6.3 million) Revenues from businesses and occupations which are licensed to do business in the county. |
Washington County organizes its expenditures into categories based on the intended use of funds.
2025 Major Expenditure Categories $361,627,700
| Color Key | Major Revenue Category | Percentage | Revenue sources |
|---|---|---|---|
Green | Health and Community Services | 24% | ($88.4 million) Costs of child protection, social services, community health, household hazardous waste, veterans’ services, job training, and food and medical care for people in need. |
Blue | Streets and Highways | 22% | ($78.3 million) Costs of maintenance and repair of local highways, streets, bridges, and road construction. Also includes capital road and bridge projects. |
Dark Blue | Public Safety | 21% | ($76.2 million) Costs to protect persons and property, combining Sheriff, Corrections, and Attorney. |
Lime Green | General Government | 20% | ($73.5 million) Administrative costs of county government, including Administration, Accounting & Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, Property Records & Taxation, and Building Services. |
Yellow | Culture and Recreation | 5% | ($18.4 million) Costs of Libraries, Parks, and the county’s Land and Water Legacy Program. |
Light Blue | Debt Services | 5% | ($17.4 million) Principal payments on bonded debt, as well as interest and fiscal charges. |
Light Green | Other Capital Outlay | 3% | ($9.5 million) Major capital improvements to county facilities, such as building upgrades, roof replacements, and cooling and heating. |
Washington County is part of the “7-County Metropolitan Area.” The most recent data (2023), as provided by each county to the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office, identifies Washington County as having one of the best rankings in the metro area, as well as statewide, in each of the following categories. Similar rankings are anticipated for 2025.
| 2025 Budget | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Net Levy per capita | $483 |
| County tax rate | 23.7 |
| County tax on median house value ($417,000) | $969 |
| Employees per 1,000 population | 5.04 |
Note: Net Levy excludes Regional Rail Authority and Land & Water Legacy Program levies. Per capita information is based on the most current estimated population from Metropolitan Council for 2021 of 270,805.
Per capita information is based on the most current estimated population from Metropolitan Council for 2021 of 270,805.
Budget Archived Documents
Previous Budget Documents
The Summary Budget Data (PDF) provides a four-year overview of the county’s budget history. It represents:
- Two years of actual expenditures.
- The current year’s budget.
- And the next year’s budget.
Washington County’s budget provides funding for high quality core services and programs, and infrastructure (such as public buildings, parks, and road reconstruction).
County services and programs are made possible through the leadership of the Washington County Board of Commissioners and county staff working together to provide quality public services in a cost-effective manner through innovation, leadership, and the cooperation of dedicated people.