Five years ago, the County Road Administration Board adopted its first strategic plan and, since that time, it has served as our guide as we have pursued new initiatives and activities. With much accomplished since its adoption, it is time to focus on the next five years ahead as we continue our mission of ensuring the success and accountability of all Washington county road departments.
Last month, we reached out to our county partners, commissioners, state partners, and the legislature to ask where we've succeeded, where we need to improve, and where we should head going forward. A big "thank you!" to all who provided thoughtful responses, suggestions, and ideas on our Report Card! We read through every word and are incorporating your insights, both into the strategic plan as well as other initiatives moving forward.
Overall, respondents expressed strong confidence in our mission, expertise, and commitment to serving Washington's counties. Stakeholders consistently described our staff as knowledgeable, responsive, and valuable partners, reinforcing the organization's reputation as a trusted technical resource.
There was consensus across stakeholder groups that the most significant issues facing transportation are declining MVFT, preservation/maintenance challenges, and state/county budgets.
Responses also identified several opportunities to strengthen future strategic initiatives, encouraging CRAB to continue advocating for counties, provide additional opportunities for collaboration and stakeholder engagement, refine processes where possible, and ensure programs continue evolving to meet changing county needs. These comments were generally constructive and reflected a desire to build upon CRAB's existing strengths rather than indicating systemic concerns.
With your feedback in hand, our staff spent two days at a retreat last week and at work sessions with our board this week developing our strategic plan for 2026 to 2030.
We have set two key goals for the agency and four strategies to get us there.
Our GOALS over the next few years are to:
1. Be a visible leader and a go-to partner.
2. Pursue long-term funding and champion resources for county road infrastructure.
Our STRATEGIES to support these goals are:
A. Increase CRAB's presence and cultivate relationships.
B. Advance workforce excellence and operational efficiency.
C. Steward and mobilize CRAB’s official county road data as a trusted, sustainable public asset.
D. Provide efficient and accountable grant programs to maximize funding opportunities.
Over the coming months, you will be hearing more from us on the details of our initiatives and what you can expect from us through 2030.
As always, we welcome your thoughts and questions. We are excited to collaborate with our partners, tackle the challenges ahead, and improve county road administration for the benefit our communities!
