Council moves forward on budget, accounting plans

Town of Cathlamet councilmembers have completed the first part of their process of developing budgets for 2011.

The council held a public hearing on a proposed property tax increase Tuesday and discussed ways of revising funds used by the Cathlamet Fire Department.

The council will hold a public hearing on the budget when it meets November 15. The budget is adopted by ordinance, and the council holds two hearings on ordinances; the second and final hearing will be December 20.

The property tax increase will also be by ordinance, requiring a second hearing on November 15.

The council is considering the maximum increase allowed by law without a public vote; that limit is 1 percent. The proposed increase would boost city property taxes $597.02 to a total of $67,667.02.

Mayor George Wehrfritz has proposed cuts to the budgets because of declining revenues. City workers would receive no pay increases next year, and hours would be cut for the swimming pool and town library.

About a dozen people attended the meeting to urge the council to fund the library adequately. Wehrfritz and councilmembers agreed that the library is a valuable service, and they urged patrons to lobby Wahkiakum County commissioners to restore a county contribution to the library.

Sixty percent of library patrons live outside town limits and thus don't support the library with property tax. All patrons do pay for library cards. The county, said Councilmember David Goodroe, once paid a contribution but stopped that about three years ago.

"As citizens, your voices need to be heard at the county level," he said." We need some support outside the town taxpayers."

Other officials echoed his comments.

Wehrfritz's proposed budget includes initiatives to generate revenue, he said in response to a question from the audience.

One involves the library: The library's computers would be upgraded, and library staff would train people to use the internet to find jobs through the regional job center in Kelso.

Another is using volunteers to form a taskforce to bolster Main Street businesses by sponsoring a shop local program, identifying and attracting new businesses.

Councilmember Wally Wright said the town has other potential revenue sources, including harvesting timber and developing a wind farm on the town's timberland. The town could also annex land along SR 4 in Rosedale where several businesses are located, he said, and the fire department's wildland fire truck can generate revenue when it's dispatched to assist in state fire fights.

"Those other things are on the docket," he said, "but they're not being pushed as hard as they should be."

The council and members of the Cathlamet Fire Department discussed how to convert a private bank account used by the fire department into a municipal account.

Assistant Fire Chief Bill Faubion, department treasurer, said he established the account in the 1970's to handle funds for the First Aid Division.

In recent years, the town, under encouragement from state auditors, has moved fire department accounts into the municipal accounting system. Clerk/Treasurer Tina Schubert said she learned that the first aid account was a private account when she went to the bank to change the people authorized to sign checks on the account.

Faubion said he had no desire to keep the account, but he urged caution, for the account has qualified to take Medicare payments, and if the town makes a quick change, those payments could be lost while the town goes through the process to become qualified to receive Medicare payments.

After discussion, officials agreed to transfer most of the money out of the account into the town account but to keep Faubion's account open for Medicare payments while the new account gets certified.

At the end of the meeting, Wehrfritz rejected a request from Faubion to go into executive session.

Wehrfritz had already declared the meeting adjourned when Faubion made the request. Faubion wanted the closed session to discuss a complaint against a fire department volunteer and potential litigation.

Wehrfritz explained that the council had voted on an agenda at the start of the meeting, before Faubion had arrived, and it didn't include an executive session.

Besides, he said, he hadn't been briefed about the details, and he felt he should be through the town's chain of command.

"I haven't been informed, and I can't speak to the grounds for an executive session and clearing the public out of the room," he said. "I'm not doing this to be nasty; I just want it to be that way with all departments."

After more discussion, Wehrfritz said he would discuss the matter with Faubion and schedule a special meeting for an executive session this week.