PORT ANGELES — An emotional Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman said he “won’t quit caring” and “won’t quit trying” to help the local economy.
In a 10-minute speech that ended with a round of applause from the audience, Chapman acknowledged that he doesn’t have an easy solution.
“I’ve got too many friends that are hurting,” he told a group of mostly county employees at the end of Tuesday’s board meeting.
“You’re looking to me for the answers, and you know what? I don’t have one.”
Chapman fought back tears as he described regular encounters he has with indigent individuals while walking his dog late at night in Port Angeles.
“People on the street are unemployed and they’re homeless,” Chapman said.
“I’ll do my best not to offend people, but I won’t quit caring. I won’t quit trying.”
Chapman’s remarks were preceded by a request to restore a 40-hour workweek for county employees.
Most county staffers were placed on a 37.5-hour schedule years ago to reduce costs.
Chapman broached the 40-hour subject in a Monday work session in which commissioners discussed three ways to spend a portion of a $3.2 million unrestricted general fund reserve to help the economy.
The broad ideas were a sales tax holiday to save residents $500,000; a $510,000 investment in nonprofit organizations that help the community; and a $1.5 million allocation for the repair and replacement of the aging sewer lines in Clallam Bay and Sekiu.
No vote has been taken on reserve spending.
Commissioners directed County Administrator Jim Jones to “fine-tune” the three options for further discussion.
“If anybody thinks that we’re callously making decisions, I don’t think we are,” Chapman said.
In public comment, county employee Janine Reed said she and her colleagues were encouraged by Chapman raising the idea of a 40-hour workweek.
Chapman had also suggested a permanent sales tax cut for goods and services sold in unincorporated areas.
Reed said it was “suspicious” that the excess reserves were identified after union contracts were signed.
She added that restoring a 40-hour workweek — and ending other employee concessions — would “help the community in a big way.”
“Not only would services at the county improve with extra staff time to complete projects, which I myself appreciate, employees would have their normal wage returned and more money to be reinvested into the local economy,” Reed said.
“This would not be a raise. It should be considered as a return to normal working hours. It seems like a basic economic principle to me.”
Chapman, who recently announced that he would step down as a commissioner when his term expires at the end of 2016, agreed that a 40-hour week for county employees would help the economy.
“You’re right,” Chapman said.
“We could put everybody back to 40 hours a week, and that money gets spent instantly.
“People might go out and buy a new car or might trade up to a bigger house,” he said.
“People might go to Swain’s, they might go to Bargain Warehouse, they might do a lot of things. I totally agree.”
Chapman said he “probably was wrong” to vote against a $482,559 medical benefit premium concession refund to employees last December.
The money came from the state Legislature for the extraordinary expense of the 2013 Darold Stenson double-murder trial.
Board Chairman Jim McEntire and former Commissioner Mike Doherty voted in favor of the concession refund.
“I bet you a lot of those dollars were spent locally,” Chapman said.
“So you’re right. As far as economic growth goes, that [40-hour week] would spur things on.”
Chapman said a tax cut of some measure couldn’t hurt, either.
“And that’s money in people’s pockets,” he said.
Local merchants, particularly car dealers, could advertise a lower sales tax rate in Clallam County to draw business from other counties.
“So that’s an idea,” Chapman said.
“I don’t know if it will work. I don’t know that it won’t work. It know that it can’t hurt. It’s a thought.”
County grants to organizations such as Serenity House of Clallam County, which provides emergency shelter and transitional housing, may keep people out of the Clallam County jail and provide a safe haven for those living in cars or under the stairs above Conrad Dyar Memorial Fountain, Chapman said.
“I don’t know what the answer is,” he said.
“I do know you’re right: 40 hours spurs economic growth. A small tax cut might spur economic growth.
“If we could help Serenity House with some one-time, short-term money, it just seems to me that might be the right thing to do. It just seems to me like it might help some of these people that I see late at night.”
Chapman said he was raised in government housing by a single mother who worked two jobs.
“I know what it’s like,” he said.
“I’ve been homeless. I’ve been without money. I’ve been in that situation.
“So my heart will always bleed, but you also have to do the right thing. You have to provide services, and you have to take care of our employees.”
Chapman opened his remarks by praising the professionalism and expertise of elected officials, department heads and county staff.
“I know you’re trained, you’re educated, all of that,” Chapman said.
“When issues like how do we improve Clallam County’s economy come across our desk, it would be an arrogant person to the nth degree who would say, ‘I know exactly what to do to fix our economy.’”
“I don’t know how to improve the economy,” Chapman said.
“I know some general ideas. I know some ideas that I’m willing to throw out there.”
He encouraged staff to share their ideas about fixing the economy.
“There are no easy answers,” he said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
