• Most NACo Awards in Washington: The County’s innovative, community-focused programs and projects garnered 19 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties - more than any other Washington county.
• Voter Education Videos Win Several Awards for excellence in voter education and communications, including a Clearinghouse Award from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and Project of Impact Award from the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC).
• Most Accurate Assessments in the State: The most accurate ratio of assessed values compared to market value of all counties in Washington State at 97.9% for 2025.

While departments across the country struggled with staffing and aging tech, Thurston County invested heavily in its personnel and equipment.

• Closing the Staffing Gap: While jails nationwide face crises, the Thurston County Jail is fully staffed.
• Safety Through Tech: The county rolled out "Grappler" and "StarChase" pursuit intervention tools and completed a full upgrade of body and dash cameras to ensure transparency and officer safety. The County’s fleet repair facility became the first in the nation certified to install Grappler equipment.
• Data in the Field: Over 100 new mobile computers were deployed to deputies, giving field officers real-time access to critical data.

The county’s 2025 focus remained squarely on the people it serves, from voters and veterans to those navigating the justice system.

• Continued Commitment to Veterans: With one of Washington State's largest veteran populations, Thurston County continues to prioritize providing resources and services specifically tailored for veterans and their families, including funding and staff for the Lacey Veterans Services Hub, emergency housing and financial aid for veterans, and the annual Veterans Resource and Job Fair.
• Elections Integrity and Accessibility: A new, high-transparency Ballot Processing Center opened this year, streamlining the voting process and enhancing security, combined with additional voting centers to improve access for seniors and voters with disabilities.
• Dashboard to Improve Case Processing: Using data from the Prosecuting Attorney’s case management system, this public dashboard provides a clear picture of decision points and outcomes, with the aim to improve case processing times.
• Closed Cases and Victim Advocacy: The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office received 6,400 criminal cases, filed 5,058, diverted 344, and closed 3,567 with 2,048 guilty pleas or verdicts. Victim advocates provided trauma-informed support and guidance in 1,086 cases.
• Expanding the Resource Hub: The county’s behavioral health and justice support center moved to a dramatically larger space. It is projected to hit 2,500 visits this year, including a massive community block party in August, and the preparation of 300 Care Kits for victims of domestic violence and others.  
• Pretrial Reform: The Pretrial Services Diversion program remains the largest in the county, connecting 140 active participants to treatment and support rather than incarceration, and supervising close to 600 individuals on pretrial release at any given time.
• Expanded Passport Services helped county residents prepare for the RealID deadline.
• Recreation & Environment: The first 2.7-mile segment of the Gate-Belmore Trail opened, offering walkers and cyclists rare prairie views and a new 21-stall trailhead along a historic rail corridor.
• Pretrial Services completed an average of 165 Pretrial Screening Reports, including the Public Safety Assessment, for the Courts and the parties each month leading to industry recognition and requests to present and provide technical assistance at the state and national levels.

• Dedicated Domestic Violence Investigation Through a state-funded grant, the Prosecutor’s Office added a specialized investigator to focus exclusively on high-risk domestic violence cases, working with local partners to intervene and prevent homicides.
• Expanding the Resource Hub The county’s behavioral health and justice support center moved to a significantly larger facility to meet rising demand. This year, the team prepared 300 Care Kits specifically for victims of domestic violence and others in crisis.
• Trauma-Informed Victim Advocacy Victim advocates within the Prosecutor's Office provided essential, trauma-informed support and guidance to survivors in 1,086 cases throughout the year.

From expanded medic units to improved language access, the county continued to lead the way in emergency preparation and public health services.

• Emergency Services Expand and Activate: Emergency Services provided support during the Rainier / Tenino wildland fires, led countywide coordination during December’s severe weather, deployed the county’s eighth medic unit, launched the first accredited EMS system for point-of-care ultrasound in the nation, and trained 2,756 community members in CPR.
• Community Weighs in on the Future of Health: More than 1,800 residents were surveyed for the Community Health Assessment to identify community health needs and inform the Community Health Improvement Plan.
• Project Safer Launched: 45 law enforcement officers and 19 agencies were trained to bridge the gap between first responders and those with developmental disabilities, improving understanding and building trust between the two groups.
• Language Access Expanded: In addition to the county’s multilingual website, Public Health expanded their face-to-face, phone and virtual translation options to serve the community. Languages include American Sign Language (ASL), Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Ukrainian, among others. In 2025, the county used the service for 223 community health calls in 13 languages.
• Adoption of the 2025 Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan 

Behind the scenes, the county’s "invisible" backbone was hardened against modern threats.

• Cybersecurity Defense: With consistent updates and monitoring of the county’s technical systems, the IT security team thwarted a sophisticated, large-scale phishing attack at the end of September that targeted the county’s payroll, successfully protecting public funds and employee bank accounts.
• Improved IT infrastructure for productivity gains, data security and better community access:
  • Implemented redundant connections to each of the County buildings.
  • Installed hybrid interview booths at the Thurston County Corrections Facility so defense attorneys can meet with defendants remotely,
  • Upgraded the County's geospatial mapping systems to the latest version of ArcGIS for improved data. 

The County Auditor's office continued providing convenient and efficient access to licensing and passport services to the community.

• Extending hours of operation to provide an alternative for community members unable to visit us during regular weekday hours, the Auditor's Office staff opened their doors hosting two Saturday Passport Fairs which also supported the state real-ID transition and won an award from the National Association of Counties for the effort. Results show that between early 2025 and June 2025, we accepted an average of 775 Passport Applications per month!
• Processing a total of 6,803 passport applications in 2025, 4,889 photos and generating $304,888 in revenue. By comparison, in 2024 (which had been the previous peak) we received 4,749 applications, 3,392 photos and generated $212,567 in revenue.

• Thurston County Public Defense will increase staffing levels and resources in the coming years to ensure our community is provided the highest quality of Constitutionally guaranteed right to counsel following the Washington State Supreme Court's landmark decision to reduce caseloads for public defense attorneys in Washington state.
• First Look Program: After phasing out during pandemic-related court closures, the program was reinstated in 2025 as a strategy to achieve the policy goal co-developed by the CAB and County's Prosecuting Attorney's Office of reducing felony case resolution time. First Look diverts eligible low-level offenders into therapeutic courts or community-based services, addressing substance use and mental health needs while enhancing public safety, reducing jail populations, and shortening case processing times. 

From our signature summer fair to renting out buildings for private gatherings, Thurston County's Fairgrounds and Event Center welcomed more than 52,000 visitors this past year, cementing its role as the county’s premier destination for celebration and connection

• Welcomed 18,500 people to the 2025 County fair.
• Hosted 52,663 people in events at the fairgrounds.
• Welcomed 137 private rental events.

Thurston County is committed to an open and transparent government where community expertise directly informs policy. Our 26 volunteer advisory boards and commissions serve as a vital link between residents and elected officials, ensuring that local decisions—from budget expenditures to regional planning—are guided by the diverse voices and professional expertise of our community.

Explore Opportunities & Get Involved: Advisory Boards, Commissions, and Committees Page

• Hosted more than 100 volunteers in dozens of hours of community meetings - With over 100 volunteer positions across 26 specialized committees, community members contributed thousands of hours annually to advise on agriculture, public health, land use, and more.
• Expertise in Action: County staff welcomed volunteer advisory board and commission members who bring specialized knowledge and geographic perspectives that help the Board of County Commissioners make balanced, informed decisions for the entire region.
• Total Transparency: The County recorded these meeting and made them part of the public record. You can watch hundreds of hours of committee proceedings on the Thurston County YouTube Channel or review meeting notes and minutes on each committee’s dedicated webpage.
• We also vetted dozens of community applications and boarded new advisors: If you'd like to join us, we are always accepting applications for new voices! Check the Current Openings to see where your skills and passions can make the biggest impact.