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Whatcom County · Fund #1350 · Special Revenue

Whatcom County Jail Fund

Whatcom County Jail Fund accounts for the additional 0.10% sales tax passed by Whatcom voters under RCW 82.14.350 to be used for costs associated with detention facilities. The General Fund transfers approximately $8.9 ...

Active Special Revenue Whatcom County
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About this fund

Whatcom County Jail Fund accounts for the additional 0.10% sales tax passed by Whatcom voters under RCW 82.14.350 to be used for costs associated with detention facilities. The General Fund transfers approximately $8.9 million per year (2025-2026 biennium) to support Corrections Bureau operating costs.

The County's Main Jail (311 Grand Ave) was designed for 148 beds with operational capacity of 212 via double-bunking. The Minimum Security Correction Facility on Bakerview Rd. opened in 2006 with 150 beds. Combined operational capacity falls below the historical average daily population — a structural pressure underlying the 2023 Justice Project ballot measure (RCW 82.14.450, 0.20% sales tax) for a new facility.

Renumbered from Fund 118 to Fund 1350 in 2025.

Authorization

The legal basis for the fund.

RCW citation: RCW 82.14.350 (jail sales tax); RCW 70.48 (jail operations)

Multi-year balance ledger

Year-by-year revenue, spending, and ending balance from the city's budget and CAFRs.
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Where the money goes

Top spending categories from documented budget line items.
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Revenue mix

Every documented inflow into this fund. By default the mix uses each source's most recent year (which means percentages mix years). Pick a single year to see strictly comparable percentages.
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Discussed in meetings

Real Briefings that mention this fund.
Apr 29, 2026
Ferndale's City Council committees convened for their regular Wednesday meeting cycle, addressing a mix of routine infrastructure maintenance, forward-looking comprehensive planning, and emerging public safety concerns. ...
Apr 28, 2026
The Whatcom County Council's April 28, 2026 meeting became a focal point for community tensions surrounding two major policy debates: the proposed jail expansion versus behavioral health services, and controversial ...
Apr 27, 2026
The Budget and Finance Committee faced a sobering financial reality as they approved three interconnected budget ordinances that significantly worsen the city's fiscal outlook. The meeting revealed that despite two ...
Apr 27, 2026
The April 27 Bellingham City Council meeting was dominated by a comprehensive State of the Court presentation revealing dramatic increases in municipal court caseloads and the strains this growth is placing on judicial ...
Apr 27, 2026
The Public Health, Safety, Justice and Equity Committee approved an ordinance establishing $1,000 penalties for licensed care facilities that misuse the 911 dispatch system for non-emergency lift assistance. The ...
Apr 20, 2026
The Lynden City Council's April 20, 2026 meeting focused primarily on infrastructure investments and routine administrative items. The centerpiece was approval of a substantial engineering contract with Reichhardt & ...
Apr 14, 2026
The Whatcom County Council's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee held a packed session focused primarily on two major items: amendments to the EMS Oversight Board structure and a comprehensive presentation on ...
Apr 14, 2026
The Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee meeting on April 14, 2026, began as a routine consent agenda session but erupted into a heated confrontation over legal authority regarding a ...
Apr 13, 2026
The Bellingham City Council's Committee of the Whole addressed several governance and organizational improvements on April 13, 2026, including receiving a comprehensive report on the 2026 state legislative session and ...
Apr 06, 2026
The Lynden City Council's April 6, 2026 meeting featured a ceremonial oath of office for three police personnel and consideration of two significant infrastructure and finance items. Police Corporals Luke Buitenbos and ...

Methodology note

Real Record tracks Fund 1350 as the Whatcom County Jail Fund. Revenue and spending shown here are extracted from the County's Adopted Budget Books. The 0.10% RCW 82.14.350 jail sales tax is distinct from the 0.20% RCW 82.14.450 Justice Project tax; the destination fund for the latter is not yet documented in the 2025-2026 biennial budget.

Sources: Whatcom County adopted budgets and Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs); Chart of Accounts; Real Briefings meeting coverage. Real Record renders the published fund data in plain language; we don't change the numbers. Where the source publishes a different classification than ours, both are shown.