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About the BOCC

Ron Averill, Commissioner District No. 1
P. W. "Bill" Schulte, Commissioner District No. 2
Lee Grose, Commissioner District No. 3

Board of County Commissioners
351 NW North Street
Chehalis WA, 98532
Phone: (360) 740-1120
Fax: (360) 740-1475

The Board of County Commissioners is the county’s legislative authority. The commissioners serve as the chief administrators for Lewis County operations. Most of their quasi-judicial duties have been assigned to a Hearings Examiner.

The three county commissioners are elected to four-year terms. The county is divided into three districts of relatively equal population as determined by federal census every ten years. At the time of election, each commissioner must live in and represent his/her district. The commissioners are partisan and nominated in a primary election embracing only their particular district. All the voters in the county are given an opportunity in the general election to select the commissioner who will ultimately serve.

The Lewis County Commissioners meet at 10:00 a.m. each Monday in BOCC Hearing Room – 2nd floor, Historic Courthouse, 351 NW North Street, Chehalis, Washington. A chairman is elected annually to preside over these meetings. The current chairman is F. Lee Grose. The Commissioners also serve as the Board for the Lewis County Health Board, current chairman is Ron Averill; also the Lewis County Solid Waste Disposal District #1; P. W. (Bill) Schulte is the current chairman.

About the Commissioner’s Office

Budget

One of the County Commissioners’ primary duties is to establish the levy rate to operate the county and to adopt a balanced budget for each calendar year. The Commissioners fix the budget amount of each department of the county, but variances and increases can be permitted during the year if extraordinary circumstances can be shown. Other elected officials in the county are responsible for the day-to-day operation of their own offices. The other elected officials are also responsible for managing their own adopted budget and the County Commissioners are responsible for the operation of budgets under the control of their appointed department heads and directors.

Also, within their legislative capacity, the Commissioners are responsible for adopting, amending and repealing all county ordinances (which are essentially laws of the county). These include traffic, planning and public safety ordinances and any other ordinance concerning the general welfare of the county.

Administrators

As administrators, County Commissioners are responsible for:

  • County Departments (see below)
  • Health Board 
  • Solid Waste Disposal District
  • Emergency Management (LCSO)

County Commissioners have a key role in a wide variety of community boards and commissions which affect citizens within and even beyond their jurisdictions. Commissioners often serve on a variety of multi-county boards and state and national committees with other officials to develop public policy. Within the county structure, Commissioners are also responsible for appointing citizens to county boards and commissions.

Departments under the Commissioners

The Commissioners have five department heads which report directly to the commissioners: Community Development, Public Works, Central Services, Fiscal/Budget, and Health and Social Services.

  • The Department of Community Development includes the divisions of Planning,
    Building and Fire Safety, and Permit Center.
  • The Department of Public Works includes the divisions of Roads, Bridges, GIS,
    Surface water, Solid Waste, Transportation Planning, Fleet, Central Shop.
  • The Department of Central Services to include Facilities, Mailroom, IT Services, Emergency 911 Dispatch Center, Radio Services, and Southwest Washington Fair.
  • The Department of Budget/Fiscal is responsible for the accounting and payroll for
    all departments under the BOCC.
  • The Department of Health and Social Services includes the divisions of
    Environmental Services, Animal Shelter, Social Services, Senior Programs, Public
    Health and Senior Transportation, Code Enforcement.

Other staff reporting to the Board of County Commissioners are their immediate office staff, Human Resources, Risk Management, Department of WSU Extension Services and Noxious Weed Control Department.