PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman has pulled his support for a proposal to freeze the salaries of eight elected officials after being criticized for favoring the idea.
Chapman on Monday said the Charter Review Commission would be a better forum for the salary debate.
“I’ve been accused of trying to make cheap political points,” Chapman said.
“It’s just not worth it.”
The proposal to eliminate cost of living raises and annual step increases for most elected officials was the brainchild of Commissioner Jim McEntire.
Chapman represented the swing vote.
“We’ll let other people take a look at this besides us,” he said.
McEntire, a Sequim Republican, made an unsuccessful pitch earlier this month to cut the pay of the three commissioners, assessor, auditor, community development director, sheriff and treasurer.
On Monday, McEntire said he liked an option that would have frozen commissioners’ salaries at $67,848, the sheriff’s salary at $98,268 and the other elected officials’ pay at $76,764.
That option would have saved county taxpayers a combined $136,357, or 0.44 percent of the $31.2 million general fund budget.
After hearing pointed feedback from about a dozen constituents last week, Chapman said it’s “way too political” for the board to adjust salaries in the middle of an election.
“I’m being criticized for trying to do what I think was the right thing,” Chapman said.
“Members of the public don’t see it that way. They see it as a political decision going on during the elections.
“It’s just not worth it right now, for me, personally.”
Without the support of either Chapman or Commissioner Mike Doherty, McEntire’s proposal was pulled from today’s business meeting agenda.
As it stands, next year’s scheduled salaries for the eight elected officials are: $70,596 for McEntire; $74,172 for Chapman; $67,188 for Doherty’s successor; $77,916 for the assessor, treasurer and community development director; $70,596 for the auditor; and $99,744 for the sheriff.
The salaries of the elected judges and prosecuting attorney are set by law.
Clallam is the only county in the state that still has step increases.
McEntire, a retired Coast Guard captain, took a slightly lower commissioner salary than he was entitled to when he took office in 2012.
“If there’s no support, we could ask the administrator to bring back a resolution that establishes a citizen’s salary commission,” McEntire said.
“At least it’s something that comes out of this discussion.”
Doherty said he preferred the “more deliberate approach” of the Charter Review Commission.
He warned that salary commissions can “backfire,” depending on the motivation of its members.
Doherty is one of 38 candidates running for a seat on the 15-member charter review panel that will propose amendments to the home-rule charter.
The Port Angeles Democrat will retire as a county commissioner at year’s end.
“The [cost-saving] criteria appears to have changed a number of times, and certainly the options change by the week,” Doherty said of McEntire’s proposal.
“So it’s hard to keep track. And I don’t think the public kept track.
“With no public hearing, there’s no opportunity for the public formally to weigh in on the criteria, whatever it was that week.”
The timing of McEntire’s proposal also did not sit well with Doherty.
“It was just going to be rushed through,” he said.
“I never did understand the criteria set for saving money. As I stated on the record, there are many other areas that we could have saved a lot more money that we don’t look into.”
Doherty said Clallam County could save money by getting serious about climate change.
Chapman said the board would send a letter to the Charter Review Commission early next year inviting it to “come up with a better solution.”
“At this point, it’s way too political to continue the discussion,” Chapman said.
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
