Commissioners Approve $20,000 for Consultant to Analyze Lewis County Manager Position

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The Board of Lewis County Commissioners has agreed to hire a consultant next year to the tune of $20,000 so a professional can come in and evaluate the structure of county government to determine if a county manager is needed.

Commissioners Gary Stamper and Bobby Jackson agreed to the budget item on Tuesday. Commissioner Edna Fund was not present at the meeting.

The consultant would look at how to possibly restructure the commissioners’ office and the departments they manage. The consultant could also look at other areas where efficiencies can be made, according to county staff.

Commissioners have stated that although they see value in the addition of a county manager, there are other issues to consider. 

“We’ve been asked ‘what do you want this position to look like,’ and quite frankly we don’t know,” Jackson said.

A consultant could take a deeper look to determine if the position is needed and then could reorganize the structure to ensure the position is a success, commissioners said. 



“After the last few weeks I’ve done a little bit of my own investigating,” Jackson said. “I definitely see a value in what we are trying to accomplish here, but would rather literally have another pair of eyes that can see it from a 10,000 -oot range, see everything we do and come back with recommendations for that.” 

A commissioner-appointed task force earlier this year made a recommendation to hire a manager to oversee day-to-day operations at the start of 2018. The task force interviewed department heads, elected officials and others outside of the county for several weeks prior to its decision. 

They were appointed to the task force after informal meetings earlier this year focused on the potential for a home rule charter, which would allow for the election of freeholders to develop a restructured form of county government for the consideration of voters. 

The discussions followed a number of lawsuits, the sustained use of reserves to balance the county budget, dischord at the Lewis County 911 Communications Center and other controversies in 2016. 

Since then, the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce has launched a pursuit of a home rule charter through its political action committee, One Lewis County. The chamber is seeking to require the county to have a county manager or executive while also suggesting the expansion of the county commission to include more representation beyond the current three commissioners. The chamber is currently collecting signatures on a petition that would send the matter to Lewis County voters. 

The money for the consultant will be included in the 2018 Lewis County budget.