PORT TOWNSEND — The passage of Initiative 747 is prompting Jefferson County Administrator Charles Saddler to direct county department heads to cut their budgets.
Saddler is asking department heads to propose cuts of 1 percent in personnel and 2.5 percent in non-personnel expenses.
The budget-cut directive comes on the heals of voter approval of I-747, which limits property tax increases to 1 percent.
More than 59 percent of voters statewide approved the initiative. In Jefferson County, 57.9 percent of voters favored the measure.
Since the initiative will limit future tax increases, the county is taking steps to reduce costs.
Commissioner Glen Huntingford, R-Chimacum, also wants Saddler to look at unfilled positions to determine whether they could remain vacant.
“I understand (the departments) have needs, but we need to take a look at that because we need to be in position next year when the Legislature gets down with their hatchet,” Huntingford said.
The rest of this story appears appears in today’s Peninsula Daily News Jefferson County edition. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered or mailed to your home or office.