Jefferson County commissioners OK budget that comes with a warning
By Jeff Chew
Peninsula Daily News
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The budget includes a general fund cut by 2.5 percent, or $383,647, bringing the general fund to a total of $15.6 million.
"We still have tough times ahead," warned County Administrator Phil Morley before the commissioners unanimously approved the budget during their regular Monday meeting.
"It's not all over yet."
Morley said the uncertain economy will require county department leaders to closely track actual revenue and expenditures "and adjust our operations to live within our means."
Making quarterly emergency expenditures, he said, is no longer an option.
Pay raises
Unions representing employees including the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Teamsters negotiated cost of living pay increases ranging from 1.5 percent to 5 percent.
Pay increases were negotiated for sheriff's deputies and sergeants to meet comparable pay in other jurisdictions.
Most county employees received a 3 percent pay increase, Morley said.
"My perspective is we've done a little bit more in 2010 to provide some stability to our employees in 2011," Morley said.
After laying off three this year, the county Department of Community Development in 2010 plans a staff reduction of 3.8 full-time equivalent position.
The department cut staff by eight in December 2008 and laid off three more in August 2009.
Other cutbacks
Other hits to the county budget, Morley said, included Public Health, which two months ago closed Environmental Health on Fridays, cut Public Health nurse support to many mothers of newborns and cut family planning clinics by one day a week.
The cuts will bring the county staff to 287.5 full-time equivalent positions in 2010.
Staff cuts include 2.75 full-time equivalents in Public Health and 2.64 full-time equivalents in Parks and Recreation.
The county Sheriff's Office eliminated its undersheriff position, one deputy, a corrections officer and an almost full-time data entry clerk, but added staffing fully funded by grant and contraction positions.
Those include a community policing officer paid by federal stimulus dollars, a West End deputy paid for by the Hoh tribe on contract, and a sheriff's clerk hired through a state grant for 2010.
In October, Washington State University Cooperative Extension, which the county contracts for economic development and other services, reduced staffing and closed Fridays.
"What I appreciate here is we're looking ahead to maintain funds and services," said Commissioner John Austin, D-Port Ludlow.
Complimenting Morley for his work to survive the county's budget crisis, Commissioner David Sullivan, D-Cape George told him: "You've really shown that you can being people together to do this."
Morley said he did it with the help of cooperative elected and hired county department leaders.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: December 15. 2009 12:09AM
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