Commissioners’ salaries will freeze after all

Island County legal counsel determined it isn’t too late to freeze salary increases, after all, at least not for positions up for election this year.

According to the Washington state constitution, “The salary of any county, city, town, or municipal officers shall not be increased … or diminished after his election, or during his term of office; nor shall the term of any such officer be extended beyond the period for which he is elected or appointed.”

Commissioner John Dean said counsel advised the commissioners this phrase meant “the deadline for decreasing the salary of a county elected official is the day before election day, i.e., Monday, November 1, 2010, not the time of filing a declaration of candidacy for election, as we originally thought.”

The salaries for positions not up for election, including commissioners Helen Price Johnson and Angie Homola, can’t lawfully be reduced during their terms and won’t go into effect until Jan. 1, Dean said.

“However,” Dean continued, “the salary for my District 3 commissioner position can be reduced for the new term that begins January 1, 2011. If the board decides to do that, and I will definitely support it, then other elected officials would be reduced, as well, for a total savings of about $28,000.”

The commissioners discussed the matter in a meeting last Wednesday and directed Budget Director Elaine Marlow to draft a resolution that freezes Dean’s salary at its current level.

Dean said he would meet with elected officials to inform them of the board’s decision and how it will affect their salaries, since they are based on a percentage of the commissioners’ salary.

Formal adoption will take place after the usual process of legal review and public notice, hearing and comment, Dean said, but the board doesn’t expect anyone to contest the resolution.

The commissioners also plan a courtesy notification to this year’s new candidates for elected positions, to let them know their salaries will be lower than expected if they win election.

Staff Reporter Jeremiah O’Hagan: 629-8066 ext. 125 or ohagan@scnews.com.