PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners have been asked to consider the heroin epidemic as they shape next year’s budget.
Julia Keegan, a Clallam County jail nurse, urged the board in a Tuesday forum to provide funding and other support for the distribution of naloxone, an antidote to opiate overdose that offers a person who has stopped breathing a second chance at life.
Naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, has saved at least three lives since the Port Angeles Police Department began carrying the non-narcotic medication through a pilot program with Kaleo, a Viginia-based manufacturer, in March, police have said.
Exchange program
More recently, Clallam Health and Human Services began distributing donated naloxone through a syringe exchange program in July.
“Now, I find that the money needed to continue this momentum, this teamwork, and this call to arm our county with a lifesaving antidote is in question and maybe not viewed as important as some other need or needs,” Keegan told commissioners.
“I am here to ask not only for the money to continue this program but for more time and attention to it to prove its depth and abilities.”
Keegan advocated Narcan education and its widespread distribution at area pharmacies.
Clallam County’s death rate from prescription opioid and heroin overdose was 29 per 100,000 in 2013, nearly twice the state’s overdose death rate of 14.8 per 100,000, health officials have said.
Board of Health
Commissioner Jim McEntire asked Keegan to provide her written remarks to the Clallam County Board of Health later this month.
“I would very much like to see the Board of Health treat this and then give the board (of county commissioners) a recommendation during the budget process so that we can see how do we move forward with it,” said McEntire, who serves on the health board.
Sixteen citizens and county staffers attended the budget forum and road department presentation in Port Angeles on Tuesday.
A second forum was held in Forks on Wednesday.
The third and final forum will be at 6 p.m. today at the Sequim Transit Center, 190 W. Cedar St.
Clallam County Administrator Jim Jones presented Tuesday the same preliminary roll-up budget that he unveiled in a Sept. 8 commissioners’ meeting.
The preliminary budget takes the current year’s spending priced in next year’s dollars.
It shows $32.5 million in 2016 revenue, $33.7 million in expenditures and uses $1.2 million in general fund reserves.
“This is always the starting point,” McEntire said.
“After Jim presents his recommended budget and sends it to us, then that’s when we go to work as commissioners to make it balanced.”
In nine out of the past 10 years, the preliminary roll-up budget has spent more money than it brought in, Jones said.
“Some people call it a deficit,” Jones said.
“It’s not a deficit because county governments, state government, city governments within our state — we’re not allowed to do deficits.
“We cannot spend more money than we have,” Jones added.
“Now, we can spend more money than we bring in and then use reserves, or our savings account, and that’s what this projects to do.”
General fund reserves
The spending of $1.2 million in general fund reserves would leave a balance of about $11 million.
About $8.9 million of that total is restricted, leaving about $2.1 million for discretionary spending.
Clallam County department heads have submitted requests for $2.2 million in additional spending from the general fund.
Chief Accountant Stan Creasey asked commissioners where they plan to set the number for reserve spending.
“That’s for the near future,” McEntire replied.
Jones will present a balanced recommended budget Nov. 10.
Commissioners are expected to approve a final budget by Dec. 8.
Transportation budget
After the budget forum, County Engineer Ross Tyler presented a draft transportation budget for 2016 to 2021 with a list of funded and unfunded projects for the next six years.
Thirty-two projects totalling $25.6 million are funded from local, state and federal sources and 40 projects totalling $31.8 million remain unfunded.
The recommended county budget and transportation plan are available on the county’s website, www.clallam.net.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
