Clallam County is legally bound to pay Commissioner Steve Tharinger while he serves in the state Legislature as the newest member of the 24th District delegation representing the North Olympic Peninsula.
So Tharinger said he will give some of the money back.
Before the November general election, Tharinger said that he would not take a paycheck from the county when the Legislature is in session if he were elected.
The Sequim Democrat made the statement amid heavy criticism from his three opponents that he would be “double dipping” by taking two public salaries if voters chose him to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Lynn Kessler.
But that’s not possible, Tharinger said after he was sworn in last week to the state position, which pays $42,106 a year. The county pay is $63,504 annually, for a total of $105,610.
Clallam County Administrator Jim Jones confirmed that to be the case: Changing Tharinger’s pay would require a vote by the Board of County Commissioners, Jones said, and such a change would not go into effect until his next term.
But Jones said Tharinger can give back as much of his pay as he wants to the county, in the form of a tax-deductible donation.
Rather than simply not taking a paycheck from the county during the 105-day legislative session, Tharinger said he will give the county back some of his pay if he works less than 40 hours a week on county issues.
“Let’s say I spend . . . 35 hours a week doing county business, then I would pay back to the county for five hours,” he said.
Assuming a 40-hour work week, his $63,504 county salary works out to about $30.44 an hour.
Tharinger said that he would not give back all of his county pay during a legislative session “because I don’t work for free.
“The question is: If I’m working in a 70- to 80-hour work week, I think there should be some compensation.”
Tharinger acknowledged that he did say during the campaign that he wouldn’t take a paycheck from the county when the Legislature is in session.
He said what he meant by that statement is that he would take a leave of absence from the county.
Asked why he didn’t say that instead, Tharinger responded: “I don’t know. That’s a good question.”
Jones said he can’t legally take a leave of absence.
Tharinger said he doesn’t think he misled voters.
“I just don’t,” he said, when asked to elaborate.
“I think it’s fairly comparable to what I was saying,” Tharinger said.
He is one of two state legislators who also serve as a county commissioner.
The other, state Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, said he receives a paycheck from both jobs.
Sheldon said he also has been criticized for holding two elected positions, but referred to it as being merely “political.”
Jones said the county doesn’t keep track of the hours worked by the three commissioners, but he estimates they all work about 60 hours a week.
The county documents only what days they are in their offices at the Clallam County Courthouse.
Tharinger said he will keep track of his own hours, and pay back what he thinks he should at the end of the session.
He acknowledged that it will be “difficult” at times to determine which issues fall under his duties as a county commissioner or state legislator.
Tharinger said there will be some overlap.
“That’s going to be tricky,” he said. “That line is not going to be super, super bright.
“So, I’ll just try to keep some mental note, or write notes, as to my schedule and where they overlap.”
During the legislative session, Tharinger plans to participate in county commission’s meetings each Monday and Tuesday via speakerphone from Olympia.
He phoned in during the Jan. 3-4 meetings while he was in Olympia preparing for the session.
Tharinger also phoned in during the first half hour of the commission’s Monday meeting and missed Tuesday’s meeting.
He attributed the absences to being sworn in as a legislator and other duties associated with the start of the session.
Tharinger said he shouldn’t have scheduling conflicts during the rest of the session as long as Tuesday meetings end before 10:30 a.m.
Jones said he will propose this week that the commission moves the Tuesday public hearings, which start at 10:30 a.m., to about 9 a.m. in order to ensure Tharinger can listen in.
Tharinger said he has access to recordings of the meetings.
Jones said he doesn’t think the arrangement will cause difficulties.
“I’m not anticipating it will cause problems,” he said.
Tharinger’s county seat is up for re-election in November. The seat is for a four-year term.
He said he hasn’t decided if he will run again for the commission seat.
Legislators in the state House of Representatives serve two-year terms.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
