PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners approved a “spillover” item during their regular meeting Tuesday.
The commissioners approved a budget revision for the Health & Human Services (HHS) department’s environmental health budget.
“This is in relation to a budget modification revision that is needed to shift $10,000 from laboratory supplies and equipment in order to enable a capital purchase for the water lab that was actually intended for last year,” Chief Financial Officer Mark Lane said. “We actually had done a budget revision to accommodate this item in 2025. Unfortunately, the invoice that was received last year was slightly greater than the department had expected for the budget request.”
The money will be used to purchase a venting unit for the water lab.
During the meeting, commissioners also approved 11 contracts for behavioral health funds. The commissioners were first told about the funding proposals in November and approved the requests for funding in December, but the contracts, which are for Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2027, weren’t presented to commissioners until Tuesday.
The funding for the proposals comes from what’s known as the Hargrove tax, county Administrator Todd Mielke said. The name comes from former state Sen. Jim Hargrove, a Democrat who was instrumental in initiating the tax in the legislative process, Mielke said.
Clallam County initiated the tax in 2006. It is a one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax which funds behavioral health services within the county’s budget before funds are then distributed to organizations which request them. The county’s Behavioral Health Advisory Board recommends proposals for funding, Mielke said.
The advisory board looks at agencies which serve the public but see shortfalls from their other funding sources, HHS staff told commissioners. Insurance and Medicaid do not fully cover the costs of these services, and even less funding is expected from Medicaid following changes made in 2025.
“Within our internal process, there’s significant work done around the contracts to make sure those contracts are being executed in accordance with their intent,” commissioner Mark Ozias said, adding that there are extremely tight controls and oversight for the contracts.
The work done by the public organizations also is closely tracked to be sure goals are being met, HHS staff told commissioners. Priorities for this round of funding were behavioral health specialized services, behavioral health housing and shelter, early intervention for behavioral health, and unfunded or underfunded behavioral health supports.
“One other benefit or change since I’ve been here is we now have a two-year period instead of one year,” commissioner Randy Johnson said.
“Why is it two years? Because you just began a program and couldn’t measure outcomes as to whether or not you’re successful, and I appreciate now the fact that we have everything on a basis to make sure things are successful, the money’s being utilized appropriately.”
The contracts are for:
• $204,684.22 for Reflections Counseling Services Group for it’s underinsured and non-insured program.
• $340,000 for Peninsula Behavioral Health for its access to behavioral healthcare services for low-income individuals program.
• $66,666.66 for Peninsula Behavioral Health for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program.
• $204,684.22 for Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic for the REdisCOVERY unfunded/underfunded Bridge Care program.
• $200,000 for First Step Family Support Center for its Parents as Teachers program.
• $25,294 for Transformations by Olympic Angels to expand delivery of the Dare to Dream and Love Box programs.
• $55,000 for The Benji Project for Building Resilience in Clallam County’s youth mental health prevention program.
• $70,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula for the behavioral health initiative.
• $50,000 for West End Outreach Services.
• $144,684.22 for Olympic Person Growth Center’s Filling the Gap program.
• $90,906.25 for Sequim High School and Sequim Middle School for the Education and Early Intervention for Mental Wellness program.
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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.
