Sheriff Sanders warns major budget cuts will threaten public safety services
Sep 22, 2025, 12:04 PM | Updated: 6:45 pm
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders. (Courtesy of Thurston County Sheriff's Office)
(Courtesy of Thurston County Sheriff's Office)
In a direct message to residents, Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders took to social media this week to announce significant budget challenges facing his department, warning that proposed cuts could severely impact public safety services.
The announcement outlined a potential 26% budget reduction, part of a broader cost-cutting measure across county departments as Thurston County grapples with a growing structural deficit.
Sanders pointed to inflation, rising operational costs, and unfunded mandates from state and federal authorities as the driving forces behind the financial shortfall.
“Higher government tells us we must do things that are expensive and cost money, then provide no money to do the work,” Sanders wrote.
RELATED STORIES
Sheriff warns cuts could cripple emergency and jail services
Sanders, who oversees both the patrol division and the jail, said he was required to draft two separate 26% cut scenarios. He confirmed that some reductions are already anticipated, including the loss of at least 12 full-time corrections deputies due to the suspension of the county’s work release program.
“The list is short,” he wrote, warning that any budget cuts will undo progress in staffing, community trust, and major case investigations.
Despite the challenges, Sanders vowed to fight against any layoffs, stressing his commitment to keeping the jail operational and ensuring deputies can continue responding to emergency calls.
County responds
“Thurston County is facing a $36 million general fund deficit in 2026,” a county spokesperson told KIRO Newsradio in an email Monday evening. “The Board of County Commissioners is making the difficult decisions that it takes to continue living within our means. Every county office and department – 18 in all – is looking at cost cutting measures. Every elected official and appointed director is struggling with these decisions. Many people in our communities are facing rising costs and hard choices – we’re right there with everyone else.”
Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest
