Commissioners look for cuts, funding ideas -Free dump day cancelled

Wahkiakum County officials on Tuesday prepared to start staff and program cuts as a means of dealing with a revenue decline.

In a workshop session, Commissioners George Trott, Dan Cothren and Tom Doumit agreed to reduce the fair manager position to a six month job, at least temporarily, and they agreed to meet with Wahkiakum Family Practice Clinic clinicians to recommend a reduction in staff.

The board authorized hiring a fair manager full time for six months, an expenditure of $11,500, less than half the $23,000 they’d budgeted for the position for the year.

They notified fair board members of the decision, and the board offered the position to an applicant for the job, who accepted later that day (see related story in this edition).

Commissioners Cothren and Trott came into their Tuesday meetings wanting to make some spending cuts.

County budget revenues will be light this year, and county officials are facing higher than expected deficits at the clinic. They’ve presented the situation at two public forums, and last week in Cathlamet, they felt they had a strong message that the county should cut expenditures before asking taxpayers to cover the deficit.

“We have had the word, make cuts,” Cothren said Tuesday morning, “here and at the clinic.

“We have to do this before we leave today. I’m tired of going from Tuesday to Tuesday.”

Doumit, however, suggested the board consider things with deliberation. The board needs to consider whether the county can use dedicated reserves to cover the deficits a while, and also if an advisory group should be formed to develop some recommendations.

“I agree there’s some room for cutting, but I don’t know what it is,” Doumit said. “It’s probably several things to fashion a long term financial fix.”

In the course of discussion, the board focused on two consultant evaluations which suggested a reduction in at least one mid-level service provider at the clinic.

That reduction had been discussed but rejected in the past because of input from the clinic, commissioners said.

“This one always came out from the consultants,” Cothren said. “It needs to come out now. We’ve been looking at this too long.”

At the end of the day, the board agreed they would propose the cut to the clinicians.

Treasurer Paula Holloway opposed a suggestion to cover deficits with reserves while a long term funding solution is developed.

“I’m absolutely opposed to opening up the reserves,” she said. “It would take a public vote, and we’d have to borrow the money.”

“I agree,” Cothren said. “The coffin lid has come down. We predicted this. I can’t see depleting the reserves anymore.”

“I don’t think it’s financially responsible,” Trott said.

“Then we have to articulate that to the public,” Doumit said. “Yes, that’s an option, but not one we have available.”

The three commissioners also agreed that they didn’t want to pursue the route of combining with Cowlitz Family Health Center.

“It would create bigger problems than it would cure,” Cothren said.

Doumit said the officials also need to consider the analysis that showed that hiring a registered nurse practitioner could generate substantial income, but not enough to cover the deficits.

“We need to meet with the clinicians on that,” Trott said. “We need to go into next year on stable footing. We can’t go in with another $200,0000 subsidy.”

Later in the day, the board looked at the fair budget and made the decision to pay the manager for six months.

Cothren asked if the manager could be hired as an independent contractor, which could save overhead costs; Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow said he would research the question and prepare an answer.

The board did agree to cancel this year’s free solid waste dumping coupon, which should save around $22,000 in disposal fees.