Whatcom County Council

10/19/2026

Council will be discussing the County Executive’s 2027-2028 budget proposal during a Special Council meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, October 20, at 9:00 a.m.

You can watch the meeting in Council Chambers at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham or online via Zoom. Visit www.whatcomcounty.us/3415 for more information.

Council will continue budget deliberations over the coming weeks, and community members will have an opportunity to participate in a public hearing prior to adoption of a final budget, which must happen by December 1.

You can also share your feedback on the budget by:

• Participating in Public Comment during a Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting (2 minutes per speaker; comments limited to Committee agenda items)

• Participating in Open Session during a regular evening Council meeting (3 minutes per speaker)

• Emailing Council at [email protected]

• Emailing the County Executive at [email protected]

Review the full budget proposal: www.whatcomcounty.us/4814

10/19/2026

The Whatcom County Assessor's Office mailed Change of Value Notices for the 2026 Assessment Year on September 25, 2026.

To appeal the assessed value of your property (for taxes payable in 2027), submit a petition to the Board of Equalization by the deadline on Monday, October 26, 2026.

The Whatcom County Board of Equalization (BOE) consists of seven volunteer members appointed by the County Council for their experience and knowledge of county real estate values. Through an informal hearing process, the Board reviews evidence provided by the petitioner and the assessor to determine a property's true and fair market value.

If you have any questions about the appeal process, BOE staff in the Council Office are happy to help! Call us at (360) 778-5016 or email [email protected].

Learn more about the appeal process and find out how to submit a petition: www.whatcomcounty.us/180

10/16/2026

Join us on Tuesday, October 20 at 9 a.m. for a Whatcom County Council Special Meeting!

On the agenda:
1. AB2026-687 Discussion of the County Executive's recommended 2027-2028 Biennium Budget

Watch the meeting in Council Chambers at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham or register to receive a Zoom link to watch online.

Zoom link: www.whatcomcounty.us/3415

View meeting agendas in the Legislative Information Center: whatcom.legistar.com

10/14/2026

Don't miss Whatcom County's Flood Preparedness Open House happening tonight from 5:00-7:00pm at the Nooksack Valley Middle School! Learn about ongoing flood mitigation efforts and connect with the people working to prepare our community for flooding.

The Flood Preparedness Open House is tonight!

Stop by Nooksack Valley Middle School from 5–7 p.m. to get ready for flood season and connect with local agencies and organizations working on flood preparedness and response.

Visit resource tables to ask questions and find preparedness information, then join us for a short program with updates on flood mitigation projects and other work underway to reduce flood risk in our community.

The Open House is part of Whatcom County’s Flood Preparedness Week. Come learn, ask questions, and connect with the people helping our community prepare for flooding.

10/09/2026

Join us next week Tuesday, October 13 for Whatcom County Council and committee meetings!

Meeting Schedule:
--9:00 AM Finance and Administrative Services Committee
--1:00 PM Committee of the Whole
--6:00 PM Council

Watch the meetings in Council Chambers at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham or register to receive a Zoom link to watch or participate online.

Zoom link: www.whatcomcounty.us/3415

View meeting agendas in the Legislative Information Center: whatcom.legistar.com

Photo: Field of sunflowers in Whatcom County

10/08/2026

On Tuesday, October 13 at 6:00 PM, Council will hold a public hearing on the item below:

--AB2026-681 Resolution granting a temporary easement to the State of Washington Department of Transportation (Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors)

Community members are welcome to participate in the public hearing by attending the meeting in person in Council Chambers at 311 Grand Ave. in Bellingham or online via Zoom. If you plan to speak remotely, please register for a Zoom link by 4:00 p.m. On-site participants will be invited to speak first, followed by online registrants. Each speaker will have three minutes to address the Council.

Zoom link: www.whatcomcounty.us/3415

View the full meeting agenda in the Legislative Information Center: whatcom.legistar.com

10/08/2026

The final District 3 Community Conversation of 2026 is coming up next week!

County Councilmembers Jessica Rienstra and Jon Scanlon will be at the Deming Library (5044 Mt Baker Hwy) on Thursday, October 15 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. to answer your questions and hear your ideas and feedback.

We hope you'll join us for what promises to be an interesting and productive conversation about the future of Whatcom County!

Learn more: www.whatcomcounty.us/4668

10/02/2026

Council has another packed agenda next week. Join us Tuesday, October 6 for the following meetings:

--9:30 AM Special Council
--10:00 AM Health Board and Public Health Advisory Board
--1:00 PM Special Committee of the Whole

Watch the meetings in Council Chambers at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham or register to receive a Zoom link to watch or participate online.

Learn more and get your Zoom link: www.whatcomcounty.us/3415

View meeting agendas in the Legislative Information Center: whatcom.legistar.com

10/02/2026

Councilmembers Elizabeth Boyle, Barry Buchanan, and Jon Scanlon are headed back to District 2 for another Community Conversation!

Join the councilmembers and members of the King Mountain Neighborhood Association at the Bellingham Covenant Church (1530 E Bakerview Rd) for a special Q&A event on Wednesday, October 7 from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

This event is an opportunity to ask questions and share your ideas for King Mountain and Whatcom County. It promises to be a great conversation, and we hope to see you there!

Learn more and view other upcoming events: www.whatcomcounty.us/4668

10/01/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the County Government Open House last night! We loved hearing from everyone and having the opportunity to share some of the great work our departments are doing throughout the county.