Funding discussion leads to hot exchange

How to increase revenue and what to do with it turned into a hot topic at Tuesday's meeting of the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners.

Commissioner Mike Backman reported he wants to ask voters to approve a property tax levy to fund entities such as the county fair which have few revenue sources. Commissioner Blair Brady said he liked that idea. Commissioner Dan Cothren was absent and at a meeting in Olympia.

Sheriff Mark Howie was at the meeting and commented that the idea had merit, but the county already has an unanticipated funding source that could support the agencies and, as he and other elected officials proposed last week, fund the first raise in seven years for elected officials.

Commissioner Brady commented he didn't like that suggestion, and he and Howie got into a frank discussion.

Backman said he has been talking with representatives of several non-mandated agencies, including the Cathlamet library and swimming pool, the county fair, WSU Cooperative Extension, Grays River Valley Center, Wahkiakum Emergency Management and the Wahkiakum Community Center.

"We're afraid we're going to lose our fair," Backman said. "The state's talking about cutting the funding. This is what we've come up with."

The group has suggested a levy that would raise $160,000 with an assessment of 40 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The money might need to go to a park and recreation district, which would also need to be formed.

"We're going to put this to the people," Backman said. "I'm going to do some door to door stuff to let people know what we're after."

"I think it's a great idea," Brady said. "It's been talked about before."

At that point, Sheriff Howie commented that the county clerk's office will generate around $160,000 from its online divorce program, and that unanticipated revenue could fund the programs Backman had mentioned and also give the elected officials a raise.

"You could do all of these things and realign the officials' salaries," he said. "The money is there; you don't have to tax it.”

Brady didn't like that suggestion.

"If all the offices brought in an extra $150,000 on their own initiative, you'd have your raise," he said. "Even if we get that much (from the clerk's office), we're still deficit spending. That's my problem.

"If we can balance the budget, we'll do it. Let's look at it at budget time.

"Elected officials knew what their wages were when they signed up for election. If they didn't think the pay was right, they should have spoken up then and not run for election. If we're going to have this every week, I'm not going to bite my tongue any longer."

"It's very hard for elected officials to hear that there's a proposal before the citizenry to raise their taxes to pay for social services which we all enjoy," Howie said. "It's offensive when you say we're riding on coattails; that's hogwash. We're bringing forth facts to you on budget issues and how things can be paid for."

"It's offensive for me," Brady said. "We'll look at it at budget time."

"If this has been brought before the board in a public meeting, then the other facts can be brought out as well, and that's why I'm bringing them up again," Howie said. "We're not going to hold our tongues."

"You don't have to," Brady said, "but I'm not changing my mind. We said we'll look at it at budget time, and if we can make the budget balance, we'll do it."