PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County commissioners acted swiftly Monday to cut about $1 million from the county budget, paring employees’ hours and approving voluntary pay cuts from elected officials.
Slammed by declining revenues from all sources ,including sales tax, real estate tax and state timber harvest revenues, the commissioners Monday all said they planned to take the voluntary 6.25 percent pay cut as the county’s lead elected officials.
The commissioners’ action in effect redirects elected officials’ salaries to go toward other county expenses.
County investment income is down $345,000, County Administrator Phillip Morley reported.
“It is not with pleasure that I am presenting this to you this morning,” Morley told the commissioners. “It is out of necessity.
“We’re in a position where we must act.”
County commissioners agreed.
“People have asked for more certainty in the process,” said Commissioner David Sullivan, D-Cape George, adding that the process would continue.
“We will have a chance to look at creative options as time goes on.”
The 6.25 percent pay cut for hourly and salaried county employees reduces their hours to 37.5 a week.
That will save the county $181,000 in the general fund this year. Positions left vacant this year will save another $101,000.
Staff affected
Affected county staffs include the auditor, assessor, clerk, county commissioners, county administrator, District Court, emergency management, juvenile services, prosecuting attorney’s office, Superior Court, treasurer, information services and facilities divisions.
Identified reductions will achieve $856,000 toward a goal of saving $1.05 million.
“This leaves approximately $200,000 of additional revenues or further expenditure reductions to be found before year’s end,” Morley said.
“Recent information gives promise that revenues in future months may make up this difference. Other expenditure reduction options are being explored, as well as the possibility of drawing upon excess fund balance.”
He said he would continue to work appropriately with county employee union representatives.
Staff hour reductions require that county courthouse public hours be pared to 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“This also gives staff 30 minutes a day of uninterrupted time to concentrate on getting work done in a shortened work day,” Morley said.
Other county facilities and offices are not affected.
“It is our desire to return staff and the courthouse to a normal schedule as soon as economic conditions allow,” he said.
When the commissioners adopted the county’s $48 million 2009 budget, 13 job cuts — six of them layoffs — were limited to the county Department of Community Development to help offset revenues lost in a weakened economy.
That department’s remaining staffers were cut to 36-hour work weeks, including Al Scalf, community development director. The DCD hour reductions amounted to two full-time positions.
A 4.3 percent staff reduction was approved with the 2009 budget, leaving the county with 297.6 full-time-equivalent positions.
Morley, at the time, warned that he would continue to monitor revenue flow and propose additional adjustments, if necessary.
The Sheriff’s Office, which amounts to about 25 percent of the county general fund, last year reduced a deputy position, saving $92,000, and reduced professional services by $70,000. The sheriff budgeted adequate overtime of $225,000 in salaries and benefits, which previously had not been done.
Morley said Monday said the latest sheriff’s reduction would move $35,000 to drug enforcement for drug investigations.
A public hearing conducted on the budget before the commissioners took action drew some suggestions:
• Saying he has seen county money wasted by county officials trying to “chase me down,” Joe D’Amico, owner of Security Services Northwest of Gardiner, called on the county to cut back on legal pursuits and instead redirect it to county employees.
• Jim Hagen said as an owner of small businesses he was used to downsizing. He cited county time spent on the critical areas ordinance and the shoreline master program since 2000 spent “without defining an actual problem.”
• Tom Thiersch said he was concerned that “what’s being done is not necessarily enough. Hope should not be part of the equation.”
Thiersch said the county should look at “greater efficiencies” such as one person managing information technology instead of the county’s staff of five taking on those duties. He said Port Townsend School District is doing just that.
• Herb Beck, a Port of Port Townsend commissioner from Quilcene, said he felt that courthouse hours should be from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. under the savings, which would benefit the working class.
• Jim Singleton said county juvenile services hours reduction would affect the working poor.
• Norm MacLeod said the county should look at saving wasted energy and replacing computer components instead of purchasing the entire computer.
• John Richmond, a West Jefferson County resident, asked that regulations and the financial impact they have on the county should also be considered.
Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
