Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings (OZAH) is to conduct quasi-judicial trial-type hearings that are fair, understandable, and accessible to all participants regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, and financial income. OZAH is committed to establishing policies, processes, and internal training to minimize unconscious bias, remove barriers for non-English speaking or disabled participants, and mitigate barriers for those without financial resources to expend on the hearing process.

Budget Overview

The total recommended FY26 Operating Budget for the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings is $883,196, an increase of $63,719 or 7.78 percent from the FY25 Approved Budget of $819,477. Personnel Costs comprise 85.19 percent of the budget for four full-time position(s) and no part-time position(s), and a total of 4.00 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 14.81 percent of the FY26 budget.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following is emphasized:

• Effective, Sustainable Government

Program Descriptions

  Zoning and Administrative Hearings

The Hearing Examiner receives applications for certain zoning matters decided by the County Council; schedules and conducts public hearings; prepares and issues reports and recommendations for County Council action; receives applications; hears and decides conditional use cases; schedules and conducts hearings in contested cases referred by other departments, such as...