County budget ready for change

Wahkiakum County officials released their proposed 2010 preliminary budget Monday and will prepare for a public hearing on December 7.

Commissioners Dan Cothren, Blair Brady and Lisa Marsyla have told department heads they expect a revenue shortfall of at least $200,000 in 2010, and they told department heads to keep their budgets at 2009 levels. Commissioners plan to divert $200,000 of the County Road levy to the Current Expense Fund to help cover the shortfall.

In the preliminary budget for the Current Expense Fund, which covers most courthouse offices, commissioners presented a 2010 budget request of $4.17 million in expenditures, down from the $4.9 budgeted for 2009.

Overall, the budget totals for several departments, including extension agent, assessor, jail, and sheriff, are down from their 2009 budgets, largely from personnel cuts. Others, such as the courts and prosecuting attorney, which receive state funds to cover a large portion of the salaries for department heads, are up.

The budget totals for the county's other departments, including County Road, Mental Health, Chemical Dependency, Health and Human Services and the cumulative reserve funds, tops $20 million.

Public Health, Mental Health and Chemical Dependency show increases, with revenues coming from state and federal funds.

The county will pay $56,696 of the $451,610 Public Health budget, $25,000 of the $359,159 Chemical Dependency budget, and $3,416 of the $885,223 Mental Health budget.

The County Fair budget is listed at $77,704 in 2010, down from $82,075 budgeted for 2009; there is no salary for a manager, who is paid through a contract with WSU Cooperative Extension.

The County Road Fund budget is listed at $11 million for 2010, up from $8 million budget for 2009; the increase reflects construction projects, including the replacement of the Puget Island ferry ramp.

Although Cowlitz Family Health Clinic is taking over the Wahkiakum Family Practice Clinic from the county in January, commissioners have still budgeted $170,000 for a clinic budget. They will employ a transition facilitator, $23,335, and assistants who will work on collecting an estimated $130,000 in patient fees that will be collectable in 2010. The county will also pay $96,865 in insurance and bonds to cover potential liabilities from the clinic practice.

The commissioners' public hearing on the proposed budgets will start at 9 a.m. December 7; the board must adopt their budgets within five days.