A new approach to one of Washington County’s longest-standing community engagement programs was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on January 27, 2026, updating a nearly 40-year-old program for providing public input to the county government using a more inclusive and less resource-intensive model.
The county plans to organize the existing Community Participation Organization (CPO) program across four geographic areas, one for each board-member district. The new program, which will focus on the services of the county government organization, will eventually be given a new name and will exist within a variety of community engagement avenues available to the public currently.
More information about the new approach will be provided at an "All CPO Meeting" to be scheduled in April of 2026. The program will pause during the summer to allow for transition planning, then the new program would launch in the fall of 2026.
If you have questions, please reach out to: [email protected]