PORT ANGELES — Clallam County officials want to eliminate furlough days and reassign non-emergency service employees to a 37.5-hour workweek effective Jan. 1, commissioners said Tuesday.
County offices would be open five days a week in 2014 — no more periodic Monday closures — except holidays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Two years ago, the county and its unions agreed to 16 unpaid furlough days in 2012 and 16 more in 2013 as part of a concession package that expires at the end of this year.
By reverting about 220 non-emergency service workers to a 37.5-hour schedule, Clallam County would reduce an anticipated $1.5 million budget shortfall by about $1.1 million, County Administrator Jim Jones said.
The remainder of the shortfall would be covered by the county’s $10 million general fund reserve.
Board Chairman Mike Chapman said conversations between the county and its unions are ongoing.
“This [resolution] is just our intent,” Chapman said.
“They may propose a different solution that works within our budget.”
Clallam County first assigned its non-elected, non-24-hour emergency service personnel to 37.5 hours in 2002.
“We’re just going back to that,” Jones said.
Chapman said the elimination of furlough days is good for public service.
Most county offices are closed on furlough days. The next furlough day is Monday.
The resolution that the three commissioners approved unanimously would affect four unions: Teamsters Local Union 589, Washington State Council of County and City Employees Local 1619-Limited Commission Sheriff’s Employees, Local 1619-Managerial and Professional Employees and the Prosecuting Attorneys Association.
The shorter workweek would not affect sheriff’s deputies, corrections deputies, juvenile service officers, patrol sergeants, corrections sergeants, elected officials or salaried workers.
Jones said the decision to revert to a 37.5-hour work week was made by commissioners after they met with department heads and elected officials in a recent series of budget meetings.
“It was part of the budget direction I was given,” Jones said in a work session Tuesday.
“It’s really got nothing to do with bargaining. This isn’t a bargaining issue. Bargaining the effects of the decision is a bargaining issue, and that’s ongoing.”
Jones and budget director Debi Cook are preparing a draft budget that will be available to the public on or about Nov. 20.
A final budget will be approved after commissioners hold two public hearings at the courthouse on Dec. 3.
Last week, Jones said the departmental budget meetings “probably went as smoothly, if not more so, this year than we’ve had since 2009 when the big fall in revenue started happening.”
“I attribute that to the fact that we established a path forward and the board has been consistent within that, doing the best we can to keep levels of service to citizens and still live within our means,” Jones said.
At the end of the budget meetings, which totaled more than 14 hours, commissioners directed Jones to draft a budget that caps reserve spending at $500,000.
Commissioners will discuss the policy for the general fund reserve on Nov. 25.
Chapman said the no-cuts budget maintains a “healthy reserve” for 2014 and beyond.
“We’re working hard to reach agreement with the unions,” Chapman said last week.
“We’re looking at restoring a five-day work week — no furloughs — and we’re not looking at new taxes.”
The 2014 preliminary budget and last six adopted budgets are available at www.clallam.net under the “Budget and Finance” link on the left side of the home page.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
