Island County’s plan B

Island County voters thoroughly rejected Proposition 1, a property tax levy lid lift, directing county officials to find a different way to deal with the aftermath of its crippled coffers.

The county is facing a $2 million current expense fund deficit heading into 2011, and the only way to balance is to start cutting.

Again. It’s not pleasant, but it is necessary.

“The levy lid lift results were a mandate (from the public) to make the cuts,” Commissioner John Dean said.

In June, departments submitted their worst-case, what-if scenarios. Now, they are being asked to submit budget proposals based on those reductions.

The results mean many daily services will simply go away.

In order to meet budget goals, the parks department will likely eliminate maintenance.

At the least, Washington State University’s extension program will drop 4-H and Master Gardeners.

Public health and senior services are facing reductions of 40-50 percent, and programs designed to prevent the marginalization of low-income families and seniors may have to go. Human services will likely drop its alcohol and substance abuse program.

Although some of these programs are non-mandated, Dean said, “If we cut them all the way, we lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants.”

Such non-mandated programs have long been at the center of budget controversies.

“There seems to be a belief out there that if we cut all non-mandated programs, we’ll be fine,” Dean said. “I think people’s concern is that we’re holding out, but that’s just not true.”

Even if all non-mandated programs and services were struck from the budget, the county would only save about $300,000. It would still be facing a $1.7 million deficit in the current expense fund, said Elaine Marlow, budget director.

“Cutting the current expense budget by another $2 million will be extremely difficult for everyone,” she added.

In addition to the cuts mentioned above, the assessor, auditor and treasurer and emergency management offices are facing 5 percent cuts. The clerk, coroner, prosecutor, district and superior courts, and the sheriff’s departments must reduce their budgets by 10 percent.

For Sheriff Mark Brown — whose office takes the largest slice of the current expenses fund, at around $5 million per year — this means the loss of approximately eight deputies: three from the corrections division and five from the criminal division, including a sergeant who retired this year and won’t be replaced.

Brown said additional savings in fuel and vehicle costs will be realized as a result of fewer deputies.

Vacations, overtime, even which incidents to respond to, are going to require tough supervisory calls, Brown said, and it isn’t sitting well.

“I was made aware that if all non-mandated programs were cut, it would still not be enough to cover the deficit,” he added, “so the tax increase was the lesser of two evils. My role was to let the citizens of Island County know that I do not want to make anymore cuts.”

Brown said he cut more than $650,000 from his budget in the last two years, and his office is currently the fourth lowest-staffed sheriff’s office in the state. Now, he fears it’s headed to the bottom.

Still, Brown said in a release, “I want to make it perfectly clear that it is my opinion and strong belief that the failure of Proposition 1 was, in no way, a reflection that our citizens do not support public safety or the Island County Sheriff’s Office.”

Dean acknowledged this as well.

“There’s been some conversation that people don’t want us to cut law enforcement at all, but that’s not possible,” he said.

Brown, and other department heads and elected officials, don’t have long to figure it out. Their department expense proposals are due Sept. 3, to be incorporated into the county’s preliminary budget. After several budget workshops, a public hearing for its adoption will be held on Oct. 4.

Then the task of implementing into reality what seems so black and white on paper begins.

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