PORT ANGELES — Clallam County’s elected officials and department heads got much of what they asked for in a series of budget meetings last week.
The three commissioners are using reserves to cover one-time requests for pressing needs after years of budget cuts and belt tightening at the county courthouse.
County Administrator Jim Jones has recommended the approval of more than $3 million in departmental budget requests — much of it to replace aging equipment and technology — from an original $6.4 million in requests.
Senior officials from 21 county departments reviewed their budget requests in a series of meetings with Commissioners Jim McEntire and Bill Peach, Jones and budget Director Debi Cook last Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
“Nobody’s been asking for frivolous stuff,” Jones said Friday.
More to be considered
In the coming weeks, commissioners will consider several non-recommended requests, including a full-time criminal lawyer for the prosecuting attorney’s office and $220,000 in annual health and human services funding for the Woman, Infant and Children nutrition program for low income mothers and their babies.
“We’re not close to a final decision yet,” McEntire said of the budget. “That’s the bottom line.”
Commissioners will hold public hearings on a draft 2016 budget Dec. 1 and adopt a final budget by Dec. 8.
Last week’s budget meetings, which lasted 14 hours altogether, included philosophical discussions about the role of county government.
Peach, a first-year commissioner, questioned the need for some programs that stray beyond such core services as safety and health.
Curious board
“I believe this is the most curious a board has been in terms of asking their own questions versus just responding to what the various department heads have said,” commented Jones, who is building his 10th county budget.
Commissioner Mike Chapman did not attend the departmental budget meetings because of a health issue.
He said he was feeling better Friday and was generally supportive of Jones’ recommendations.
“I think his budget looks pretty reasonable to me,” Chapman said.
“There’s no real reason to change it much. Most of the requests he funded are one time.”
The one-time expenditures for in-house needs are part of a broader plan to spend down excess reserves in the $33.7 million general fund budget for day-to-day operations.
The county has about $12.2 million in reserve now, and must keep $9.5 million in reserve by policy.
“We’re going to still have a very healthy level of reserves on the far side once we get the budget finalized,” McEntire said.
Commissioners this year restored a 40-hour work week for 37.5-hour employees, lowered the sales tax rate by 0.2 percent and hired the equivalent of 3.5 full-time employees in May.
County officials hope that $2.2 million in annual spending will be offset by an improved local economy.
“We’re in the second year of a definite upswing,” Jones said.
Monday recommendations
In yet another budget meeting, Jones on Monday is expected to recommend one full-time position for parks, fair and facilities because that department lost a disproportionate number of employees during the recession and resulting hiring freeze.
The Women, Infant and Children program, also known as WIC, gives children up to 5 a “good start in life” by helping their mothers provide good nutrition, Health and Human Services Director Iva Burks said Tuesday.
Burks had requested $219,225 for WIC, which would allow the Clallam County to serve an additional 90 clients, up from the 1,330 it serves now.
“Certainly those requests are not unjustified, I would say,” McEntire told Burks, who also requested $40,000 annually to support a Naloxone heroin antidote program.
“I want to see people moving out of the program. I’m interested in seeing the mama get to a point where she doesn’t need WIC.”
Many county departments had all of their funding requests recommended for approval, especially if the asks were one time.
The sheriff’s office, for example, was approved for more ammunition, ballistic vests, radios, security cameras, laptop computers and other technology.
“The sheriff is by far biggest user of general fund money, by three times more than any other department in the general fund, but it is absolutely consistent with our No. 1 goal,” Jones said during the budget meetings.
“That is public safety.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
