County officials wrestle with income, compensation needs

Wahkiakum County officials gathered Tuesday for discussion and decisions on several personnel issues.

With department heads advocating for increased spending on their employees, and commissioners, who control the purse strings, predicting a period of continuing revenue shortfalls, the officials had a hard time coming to agreement.

They did agree to hire a full-time technology supervisor. Assisted by a consulting company, the county auditor's department has managed the county's technology systems for years. However, Auditor Diane Tischer wants to shed the responsibility because computer, internet and telephone technolgy have become complicated and require a person with high training.

The county's technology committee offered four scenarios to address the situation but recommended hiring a full-time person.

Commissioners Blair Brady and Mike Backman said they favored establishing a part-time position which could become full-time if warranted.

Other officials disagreed.

A part-time position would likely attract someone who was really looking for full-time work and would move on as soon as he or she found a full-time job, said Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow.

Commissioner Dan Cothren, who sits on the techonogy committee, commented that it was the committee's consensus that a full-time person is needed.

"The other thing that needs to be said is that this is a supervisory position that doesn't come under the union contract," said Assessor Bill Coons, also a technology committee member.

After more discussion, commissioners agreed by consensus to advertise for a full-time position, with salary to be negotiated.

Coons had surveyed salaries paid in other small counties; they ranged from $51,000 to $61,000 annually, plus benefits. All departments would pay a share of the expense from their budget for technology services.

From there, discussion shifted to department heads' requests for increased spending for their employees, either through raises or restructuring the pay scale to provide the increases.

Extension Agent Carrie Backman asked the board to start paying the wage of her assistant. The assistant's wages are covered by grants that she and Backman pursue, not county funds.

Since 2010, the county has spent $412,575 on the wages, salary, benefits, travel and operations, and equipment for the community center. The return on that investment, Backman said, is $1.2 million.

"We have gotten pretty good at getting grants and making deliverables," Backman said.

Commissioner Cothren commented that the programs are good programs that bring in extra money, but the board needs to be fair to all employees.

Other department heads made pitches for their employees, pointing out that the county's salary schedule is one of the lowest around, and that makes it hard to retain good employees.

Bigelow urged the board to prioritize, and even if it can't increase pay for all employees, then do it for some to show that the board acknowledges the value of their labor. That would give other employees hope, he said.

"I kind of relate that to a fantasy world," Cothren responded. Those who didn't get a raise would be upset, and that would infect the working environment, he said.

Commissioners emphasized that the outlook for county revenue is bleak and revenue shortfalls will continue.

Brady pointed out that the board has taken money away from County Road Fund taxes and put it in the Current Expense Fund. Cothren commented that through commissioners lobbying efforts, the county is set to receive funds to help cover the shortfall, but that's not guaranteed to continue.

"My reality is that we have declining revenue and increasing expenses," Brady said.

An important factor is that a voter-approved initiative limited increases in property taxes to 1 percent. Inflation is raising expenses at a higher rate than 1 percent, he said. This is a problem for most counties across the state.

Commissioners are pursuing political solutions to the revenue problem.

Cothren has been working with other counties, the legislature and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to exchange county timber trust land that is endangered species habitat and won't be logged with harvestable land in the state Common School Trust, which could advantageously place the county's encumbered land in a conservation trust.

Brady, who has a leadership role in the Washington Association of Counties, also lobbies for the exchange, and he is working with counties on a proposal to modify the 1 percent cap to allow for increases due to inflation.

The board did approve a request from District Court Judge Bill Faubion to move a clerk up a pay class, but it took no action on his request to increase the judge's salary, which hasn't had an increase in county funds for years, and which would be effective next term for an elected official.

Faubion also suggested the board consider suing the DNR for failing to perform its fiduciary responsibility as manager of the county's timber trust.

The county has a timber asset valued at $65 million and gets less than a 2 percent return, he said.

Cothren said counties have talked about such a suit, but they're continuing to work on other solutions.

Bigelow commented that he wouldn't be able to handle such a suit for the county because he lacks the necessary expertise.

"You'd have to hire a skyscraper firm," he said.