PORT ANGELES — The Washington State Association of Counties is asking for Clallam County’s help in developing a “fiscal sustainability initiative” that will be pitched to state legislators.
Association President and Spokane County Commissioner Todd Mielke told the three Clallam County commissioners Monday that the state’s 39 counties are facing “systemic” issues with rising costs and revenues that are not keeping pace with the rate of inflation.
“No matter how we measure it, there’s a problem with fiscal sustainability,” Mielke said. “Some would like us to believe that it’s simply a reflection of the economy at this time, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
Mielke and Gary Rowe, WSAC transportation policy director and managing director of the state Association of County Engineers, said changes are needed to:
— Stop the erosion of critical public services.
– Enable counties to keep place with inflation.
– Provide communities with greater local control.
– Lessen the regulatory burden.
“We are building a list of ideas from both the revenue side and the cost containment side,” Mielke said in a briefing at the Clallam County courthouse.
“So really, the purpose of our visit here today is to talk about this fiscal sustainability initiative that the Association of Counties is pursuing.”
The Washington State Association of Counties, or WSAC, is asking county commissioners and other elected officials to endorse the concept of the initiative and provide their input.
“The third thing is we hope to be back mid-fall with a legislative package,” Mielke added.
“We recognize this is more than a one-year project. We recognize they’re going into a short legislative session.
“But we hope to be back with a draft legislative package, and at that point we would like to ask that you would help support it.”
No commissioner objected to the concept of the fiscal sustainability initiative.
Commissioner Mike Doherty sits on the WSAC Legislative Steering Committee, and Commissioner Jim McEntire sits on its board.
After the meeting, board Chairman Mike Chapman said the association is looking at the “macro picture” and trying to come up with a “broad-based package that all the counties can support.”
“They just want to work with the state to have a fair process,” Chapman said.
“There are counties, and I would include Clallam, that have done a better job managing some of their challenges.
“Personally, I think we do good job locally of not cutting services.”
Mielke said two-thirds of the county’s budget is spent on employee-related costs, and some of which are required under state statute.
Meanwhile, counties are limited by 1 percent property increases, and saddled with arbitration, stormwater permits and a growing number of public records requests, Mielke said.
He added that county sales tax revenue is a “huge target for annexation.”
“One could say that after the Growth Management Act, it’s harder to create commercial areas outside urban growth boundaries,” Mielke said.
“Those tend to be inside cities, and so sales tax is a tough one to replace, and one where you see a lot of the revenue streams have shifted toward cities and away from counties.”
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
