The Thurston County Commissioners are a five-member elected board that serves as both the legislative and executive authority for Thurston County, Washington, setting policy, adopting the county budget, and regulating land use in unincorporated areas from their offices in Olympia. Each commissioner represents a separate geographic district, serves a four-year term, and must live in the district they represent throughout that term.1Thurston County, Washington. Board of County Commissioners
The board expanded to five members because Washington law requires it once a county passes 300,000 residents.2Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 36.32.050 – Number of Members, Redistricting Thurston County’s population now exceeds 304,000. State law also requires each commissioner district to hold roughly equal shares of the county’s population, with compact and undivided precinct boundaries.3Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 36.32.020 – Commissioner Districts At the start of each year the board elects a chair and vice-chair from among its members; the chair runs formal sessions and signs documents on behalf of the county.
What the Board Does
The commissioners act as the county’s legislative body and its executive leadership at the same time. On the legislative side, they adopt ordinances on police and sanitary matters in unincorporated areas, provided the rules don’t conflict with state law, and they can adopt recognized building, plumbing, electrical, and health codes by reference after a public hearing with at least ten days’ notice.4Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 36.32.120 – Powers of Board
Their regulatory reach stops at the boundaries of incorporated cities and towns. Inside those cities, municipal governments handle local rules. For residents of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and other incorporated areas, the board’s authority is limited to countywide functions such as public health, the regional jail, and roads.
On the executive side, the board manages county property, buys and sells land for public use, maintains county buildings, and settles claims against the county. Commissioners also appoint members to advisory boards and committees covering planning, parks, the fairgrounds, and other policy areas.5Thurston County, Washington. Advisory Boards, Commissions, and Committees When they hear appeals on land-use permits or code enforcement, they sit in a quasi-judicial role and must decide based on the evidence and legal standards, not public sentiment.
The County Budget
Budget authority is one of the board’s most consequential powers. Thurston County’s 2026–2027 biennial budget totals roughly $1.02 billion, with the General Fund alone budgeted at $148.1 million for 2026. Those dollars pay for the Sheriff’s Office, the courts, social services, road maintenance, and dozens of other departments.
Washington law lays out a fixed timeline. By the second Monday in July, every county department other than the commissioners themselves files itemized revenue and expenditure estimates with the county auditor.6Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 36.40 – County Budget The auditor delivers a preliminary budget to the board by the first Tuesday in September. The commissioners revise it and publish notice of a public hearing in the county’s official newspaper for two consecutive weeks. The hearing takes place on the first Monday in October, and any taxpayer may testify for or against any line item. After the hearing, the board votes on each item separately, adopts the final budget by resolution, and records the details in the official minutes.
Because the budget process is statutory and public, residents who want to influence spending or property tax levies have a defined window each fall to do so.
How Commissioners Are Elected
To run, a candidate must be a qualified elector who lives in the district they seek to represent, and that residency must continue throughout the term.7Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 36.32.040 – Election of Commissioners Filing opens on the first Monday in May of the election year and closes that Friday.8Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 29A.24.050 – Filing for Office
The filing fee equals one percent of the office’s annual salary.9Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 29A.24.091 – Filing Fees With Thurston County commissioners earning $147,936 per year as of 2025, that comes to about $1,480. A candidate who can’t pay may submit a petition signed by a number of registered voters equal to the dollar amount of the fee.
Washington uses a top-two primary for partisan offices, including commissioner seats.10Washington Secretary of State. Top Two Primary FAQs for Candidates Voters don’t declare a party and may choose among all candidates for a given seat. The top two advance to the general election, provided each receives at least one percent of the vote. Only voters within a district cast ballots for that district’s commissioner.
Terms run four years and are staggered, so the whole board never turns over at once. A commissioner remains in office until a successor is elected, qualified, and sworn in.
Vacancies and Recall
If a seat opens mid-term, the remaining commissioners appoint a replacement. If they can’t agree within five days, the governor makes the appointment.11FindLaw. Washington Code 36.32.070 – Vacancies When a vacancy occurs after the general election but before the next term begins, the elected successor from the same party may take office once qualified rather than waiting for the standard start date.
Voters can also remove a commissioner through recall. For a county of Thurston’s size, a recall petition requires valid signatures equal to 25 percent of the total votes cast for all candidates for that office at the preceding election.12Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 29A.56.180 – Recall Petitions Once the county auditor verifies the signatures, the recall proceeds to a special election. The threshold is deliberately high; recall functions as a safety valve, not a routine political tool.
Ethics and Conflicts of Interest
Washington’s Code of Ethics for Municipal Officers applies directly to county commissioners. A commissioner cannot hold a beneficial interest, direct or indirect, in any contract made by, through, or under the supervision of the board, and cannot accept compensation, gifts, or rewards connected to such a contract from anyone else who benefits from it.13Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 42.23 – Code of Ethics for Municipal Officers
When a contract falls under a statutory exemption that lets it proceed anyway, a commissioner with a beneficial interest still cannot vote to authorize, approve, or ratify it. The interest must be disclosed to the full board and recorded in the minutes before the contract is formed. If the interest qualifies as “remote” under the statute, such as holding less than one percent of shares in a contracting corporation or serving as an unsalaried officer of a nonprofit, the other members may approve the contract without counting the interested commissioner’s vote.
Commissioners also cannot use their position to secure special privileges, accept outside pay for matters tied to their official duties, or disclose confidential information gained through their role. Outside employment that could foreseeably require revealing confidential government information is barred as well.
Attending Meetings and Being Heard
The board meets regularly on Tuesdays at the Thurston County Atrium in Olympia.14Thurston County, Washington. Board of County Commissioners Meeting Information Business meetings, where votes happen, typically alternate with work sessions, where commissioners discuss upcoming issues and receive staff briefings.15Thurston County, Washington. Meetings and Agendas Agendas are posted in advance, and meeting videos and minutes are archived on the county website.
Business meetings include a public comment period. Residents can speak in person or through virtual platforms, so physical attendance isn’t required. Concise, specific comments tied to items on the agenda tend to carry the most weight.
All board meetings fall under Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act. The board may close part of a meeting by entering executive session, but only for reasons the statute allows: evaluating real estate transactions where public discussion would affect the price, reviewing complaints or performance of individual employees, discussing litigation strategy with counsel, and considering certain national security or cybersecurity matters.16Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 42.30.110 – Executive Sessions No final vote can be taken in executive session. Motions, resolutions, and ordinances must be voted on in public, and when the board interviews candidates for appointment to an elective office, both the interviews and the final vote must be public as well. Executive session notices have to name the specific statutory provision authorizing the closure, and the minutes must confirm no other topics were discussed.
Meetings must also be accessible under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.17ADA.gov. State and Local Governments Residents who need a sign language interpreter or other accommodation should contact the county clerk’s office ahead of the meeting.