Wahkiakum County faces major cuts
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 7:18 AM PDT
By Tony Lystra
Printable version
E-mail this articleFacing its worst general fund budget shortfall in more than a decade, the Wahkiakum County commissioners said this week that they will cut staff and programs, including several children's services, to make up a $330,000 gap in next year's budget.
Commissioners plan cuts in the sheriff's office and health department and trim $80,000 from the Washington State University Extension program, which would kill off 4-H, the county's Master Gardener program and support for local agriculture interests.
"When we're looking at $330,000, we don't have a lot of choices," Commissioner George Trott said Tuesday. "It's going to be a tough call for us to make these recommendations, but we have to supply the core services."
Wahkiakum County gets most of its revenue from log sales from 13,000 acres of timberland managed by the state's Department of Natural Resources. But the timber market has slumped, and about 3,000 acres have been set aside to protect the marbled murrelet, a threatened shorebird that nests inland.
"We just don't have enough timberland to support the county government," Trott said. "We either have to get more money from the state Legislature or curtail a little bit."
During the 1990s, high timber prices yielded reserves of about $12 million, but shortfalls have whittled that down to about $6 million, said Commissioner Tom Doumit.
Commissioners said they have preliminarily decided to eliminate one administrative position in the Sheriff's office and cut $48,000 from the county's Department of Health and Human Services, which will probably include one staff position.
In addition, a position in the county's auditor's office could be reduced to part time, as could another position in the county's treasurer's office.
Trott said the budget will include a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for nonunion employees and elected officials, including the commissioners, as well as small merit pay increases for employees who will have to do more work. The county's nonunion staff received no such increase last year, he said.
Jennifer Leach, who oversees the WSU extension and 4-H in Wahkiakum County, said the cuts would eliminate 4-H to about 100 kids in the county. Those children would not be able to participate in 4-H in neighboring counties, she said.
The cuts would also mean the extension office would close and that a leadership program aimed at eliminating poverty and creating activities for youth would be cut. It would be the first time the university has had to shut one of its extensions, she said.
"I am speechless," Leach said Tuesday afternoon, adding she's asked herself, " 'Wow, what could I have done differently?' "
Several commissioners met Tuesday with community members about the prospect of cutting the WSU extension, she said.
Ginger Moonen said her 11-year-old daughter has participated in horse 4-H and that the program has taught her self-confidence. She said the public was "blindsided" by the commissioners' plans.
"I just think there's a lot of other things that can be cut back to keep this for the kids," Moonen said. "If we have to, we're going to get our kids together and we're going to petition" the commissioners.
Doumit said he also hopes to convince his fellow commissioners to save the extension program, which he says has done "a tremendous" job in helping small farmers who are creating a "boutique agriculture business" in the county.
County auditor Diane Tischer said drafts of the county's $5.8 million general fund budget will be available to the public Nov. 19. Commissioners, she said, will conduct budget hearings during the first week of December. The budget is expected to be finalized by Dec. 7.
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