PORT ANGELES — Clallam County has passed a 2015 budget despite the protest of one of three commissioners.
As promised, board Chairman Mike Chapman voted no Tuesday night on the $33.2 million general fund budget — and the road and general-purpose property tax levies — after his colleagues approved a $482,559 medical benefit refund for employees who made concessions in 2011.
Eligible employees will receive a onetime refund with their paychecks next Wednesday.
The amounts average $1,614 for full-time employees who volunteered three years ago to pay an amount equal to their 2012 guaranteed cost-of-living raise to the employer portion of their medical benefit premium, County Administrator Jim Jones said.
Chapman was adamantly opposed to the refunds, which come from a $500,000 reimbursement from the state to cover the cost of the 2013 Darold Stenson double-murder trial.
“I’m not planning to support anything tonight because of what happened earlier today,” Chapman said in the second of two budget hearings Tuesday.
Chapman said the money should have been spent on law and justice because that’s what the state intended.
‘Bad day for taxpayers’
“Once again, it’s a bad day for taxpayers of Clallam County,” Chapman said, echoing previous remarks.
“It’s a bad day for our citizens. It’s bad government, it’s bad policy and I think it’s a gift of public funds, which is illegal. So with that said, I’m glad to vote no on the budget and put this mess behind us.”
He added: “The bureaucracy is now in complete control of the budget process.”
Commissioner Mike Doherty disagreed.
During labor negotiations in 2011, employees made concessions to help the balance the budget with the understanding that “the board would try to backfill those concessions if at all possible,” Doherty said.
Fulfill obligation
“So the administrator thinks in just one year — and since it isn’t escalating the base salaries — that the board could, in my mind, keep its word and fulfill that obligation to past employees,” Doherty said.
After the meeting, Commissioner Jim McEntire drew a distinction between collective bargaining and the board’s legislative act to approve the refund.
McEntire monitored the labor negotiations before taking office in 2012.
He said the board had a “moral obligation” to return the favor to employees who volunteered concessions three years ago.
“It’s just doing the right thing as far as I’m concerned,” said McEntire.
Funding details
Doherty and McEntire cast yes votes on the budget, a flat general-purpose property tax levy and a 1 percent increase in the road fund levy, which amounts to an additional $68,192.
The actual amount of the general purpose levy will be $10.1 million in 2015, and the road levy will be $6.8 million.
Initially, it appeared as through the road levy would fail for a lack of a second after McEntire made a motion to approve the road levy without a 1 percent increase.
“We appear to be at an impasse, so the right thing to do, the responsible thing to do, is have a road levy,” McEntire said.
“So I will withdraw my previous motion and just move the road fund property tax levy as written.”
Chapman, a Port Angeles independent, said he was prepared to vote yes on the budget and both levies until his colleagues approved “$2,000 and $3,000 bonuses” for high-wage earners for “work they never did.”
He called the move a “slap in the face” to hard-working taxpayers who are struggling to pay the rent or losing their jobs.
Furthermore, Chapman said he would not support requests for budget emergencies next year.
“And again, I challenge every elected official: Look yourself in the mirror before you take this money — and every department head,” Chapman said.
“It is an ill-gotten gain. It comes from the state out of their fund to help fund criminal justice.”
End-of-week decision
Chapman, McEntire and Jones have said they would not accept the medical benefit premium refund.
County officials have until the end of the week to decide whether they will take the money.
Deferred refunds will not be spread back among the workforce. The money will go back to the general fund.
The 2015 Clallam County budget was balanced through the use of $707,528 in reserves.
The county enters the year with a “very healthy” $12 million total reserve fund, $7.5 million of which is restricted, Jones said Tuesday.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
