County lays off 18 employees
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 7:16 PM PST
By Barbara LaBoe
Printable version
E-mail this articleCowlitz County commissioners laid off 18 employees and eliminated 14 other jobs Tuesday while approving a pared back 2009 budget. Even with the cuts, they also dipped into reserved for $2.4 million to balance the books.
Commissioner Axel Swanson called the vote “the most difficult thing I’ve done since I’ve been on the board,” and his fellow commissioners said they were saddened that the county’s financial situation had led to job cuts.
“It’s tough to be a commissioner at this time,” added Commission Chairman George Raiter. “And we know the impact on individual employees is much greater than on us, so we’ve tried to do this with care and compassion.”
The $45 million general fund budget is $1.49 million less than the 2008 budget and $1.28 million less than originally projected for 2009.
“It has become a difficult task to maintain the level of service our citizens expect, and it will not get any easier,” Claire Hauge, director of the county’s office of financial management, told commissioners prior to the vote.
The national financial crisis has become local, with slowdowns in housing, construction and retail sales. Officials expect to earn less from investments and sales tax in 2009 and don’t expect any increases from the state. All combined to worsen the 2009 budget outlook and left the county with “no other option but to significantly reduce staffing levels,” Hauge wrote in her budget summary. The county is “challenged to provide adequate funding for many of its basic and mandated programs,” she added.
Jobs affected by the budget are:
• 18 employees are being laid off, some from full-time positions, others from part-time posts. All but two of the lay-offs are effective Jan. 1
• 12 vacant positions will not be filled, including four sheriff’s deputies.
• 8 employees were moved from current jobs into others within their department to avoid a lay-off.
• 2 jobs will not be filled when employees leave.
Law and justice costs make up 64 percent of the general fund expenditures. Those departments also took the brunt of the staff adjustments.
The Sheriff’s office is laying off one deputy and holding four other deputy positions vacant. The Prosecuting Attorney’s office is laying off an office assistant, leaving a deputy prosecuting attorney’s post vacant and transferring a deputy prosecuting attorney and a legal secretary to new posts to avoid lay-offs. Corrections isn’t laying off any employees but is leaving a corrections officer position vacant and transferring five other positions to different posts to avoid lay-offs.
In addition, other departments made nonpersonnel cuts to their budgets including elections ($110,000) and health ($50,000) and other costs were reduced countywide.
While the 2009 budget is balanced, officials warned that decisions for 2010 and 2011 likely will be even tougher. Swanson said the county won’t have the $2.4 million in reserves to balance the next year’s budget.
“We can’t do this again,” Swanson said. “We will have to get creative next year.”
Raiter said officials will keep a close eye on the budget, adding that he hopes no more cuts will be needed during 2009 or in 2010.
Commissioner Kathleen Johnson said she’s taking an optimistic view. While times are tough, she said, today’s high tech world allows for corrections and solutions to be made much more quickly than in past downturns.
The county’s overall budget, including grants and other funds not tied to the day-to-day county operations is $178 million, up from $169 million 2008 because of several road projects and other funds that do not impact and can not transfer to the general fund.
Cowlitz County Top Ten Salaries
(2009 salary, 2008 salary, percent increase)
1) Superior Court Judge Stephen Warning $148,832* # $148,832 0%
Superior Court Judge James Stonier $148,832* # $148,832 0%
Superior Court Judge James Warme $148,832* # $148,832 0%
Superior Court Judge Jill Johanson $148,832* # $148,832 0%
2) District Court Judge David Koss $141,701* $141,710 0%
District Court Judge Ed Putka $141,701* $141,710 0%
District Court Judge Michael Evans $141,710* € N/A
3) Prosecuting Attorney Susan Baur $133,224 $125,525+ 6%
4) Public Defense Director Terry Mulligan $109,272 $104,568 4.5%
5) Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ron Marshall $107,652 $103,020 4.5%
Asset Manager and Sustainability Director Ken Stone $107,652 $103,020 4.5%
Public Works Director Kent Cash $107,652 $103,020 4.5%
6) Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Shaffer $104,964 $100,440 4.5%
7) Finance Director Claire Hauge $101,244 $96,888 4.5%
8) Health and Human Services Director Carlos Carreon $94,836 $90,756 4.5%
9) Building and Planning Director Mike Wojtowicz $92,472 $88,488 4.5%
10) Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Megan Whitmire $91,608 $87,660 4.5%
Child Support Services Director Barbara Vining $91,608 $87,660 4.5%
* Salaries set by state citizens commission
# County’s 2009 share is $74,416
€ Evans was not a judge in 2008.
+ Change includes salary adjustment based on new state legislation. State pays $74,412 of the salary.
skibum wrote on Dec 17, 2008 6:38 AM:
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