MONTESANO How thin can a departments budget get before the department ceases to exist? That was the sentiment of Grays Harbor County department heads at the countys budget meeting on Feb. 25. <\/p>\n
All three commissioners attended the special meeting, as did elected and appointed department heads working toward easing the countys deficit. <\/p>\n
I dont know that any of us here are providing services beyond what we are mandated by statute to do, county Treasurer Ron Strabbing said. Youve got to protect the core services that people expect from county government. <\/p>\n
Strabbing suggested reviewing programs that are not mandated as a way to save funds, including the Washington State University Extension Office. <\/p>\n
Its a couple hundred thousand dollars a year that is discretionary at the commissioners option, he said. The other stuff thats fluff is nice, but if you cant afford it, you cant afford it. If were driving a Ford, weve got to be using a Ford budget and not a Cadillac budget. <\/p>\n
Commission Chairman Wes Cormier began the workshop with a spreadsheet outlining his suggested cuts. The current expected deficit for 2015 is $2.5 million, and Cormiers suggested cuts would reduce that by about $621,000, leaving a hole of more than $1.8 million dollars. The department heads were asked to get the reduction up to at least $700,000. And while it may seem like a minimal respite, Cormier says the $700,000 reduction in the deficit would allow the county to meet an important budget benchmark by keeping the reserve fund at the county-mandated 16 percent. <\/p>\n
Cormiers cuts include more than $193,000 in the prosecutors office through the reduction of non-allocated funds and attrition, and more than $146,000 from the Sheriffs Department budget. Planning and building would be cut $56,000 through attrition by not filling a position that will become vacant in April, and the juvenile facility could save $55,000 through attrition of a secretary position, Cormiers spreadsheet noted. Cormier also suggested cutting $40,000 from the Assessors Office by encouraging an early retirement with added benefits. <\/p>\n
A suggested 5 percent cut of county funds to Public Health and Social Services, saving $25,000, was not completely rejected by the departments Director Joan Brewster, but she did say that cuts have already hit the department hard in the past. <\/p>\n
We are constantly in the game of looking for money to address social and health issues in the community, and its pretty hard to get a step ahead when every time we bring in a dollar, we are losing more dollars, Brewster said. Between 2008 and 2012, weve lost 47 percent of our county contribution. Were trying to keep our nose just above the water line. <\/p>\n
Brewster also cautioned commissioners that the cut could diminish outside grant funding in the future. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Continue reading here:<\/p>\n
County facing $2.5 million in red ink<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MONTESANO How thin can a departments budget get before the department ceases to exist? Continue reading