Stairs lead to the second floor of the Lewis County Courthouse.
Just days away from a preliminary presentation on the 2018 county budget, the estimated use of reserves has crept up to about $1.3 million, surpassing preliminary estimates provided to the Board of Lewis County Commissioners at the beginning of budget talks.
The year end use of reserves for 2017 has also increased to more than $600,000, although the final number has not yet been calculated. When this year’s budget was adopted, it at first utilized $1.9 million in reserves to balance the budget.
“Everyone seems to have the same concerns and there are not enough funds to go around,” Becky Butler, with the county’s budget office, said on Tuesday. “Again, this problem is not going to go away. The need is there, but the board needs to prioritize those needs. Next year it’s going to be really difficult.”
Commissioners Edna Fund, Gary Stamper and Bobby Jackson did take several cost saving measures. Budget increase requests from department directors and elected officials were heavily scrutinized in meetings, and several were denied or reduced, while others were approved. The county decentralized its fiscal office to save money, and commissioners approved the layoff of a fiscal staff member after they received input from two department heads.
Now, the director of the county’s public health and social services department has voiced a concern that she also may not need the two fiscal staff members that were assigned to her office.
“… If you asked me where I would furlough or cut someone’s hours, it would be with one of the fiscal people because I just don’t see that we need two full-time people,” York said in response to questioning by the commissioners.
In the fiscal office’s current structure, two employees dedicate all of their time to public health items.
“One full-time person dedicated to help has absolutely no business taking that long,” York said. “It should not take a full time position to do one department’s payroll.”
No action was taken to reduce the fiscal staff assigned to public health, but the issue will be brought up again next year.
York also expressed frustration that she now needs an additional $20,000 transfer from the general fund to balance her budget, despite increasing fees next year that are estimated to generate an additional $27,700 in 2018.
That increases the total transfer amount to balance the budget of public health to $605,000.
After several changes took place, York experienced increased costs. The two fiscal staff members will need to be paid from the public health budget in 2018. With the transition of senior center programs to the private sector, part of York’s salary and staff time originally paid through a fund that housed the money for the senior programs now has to be shifted over to the department’s general budget.
“Danette doesn’t go away when the senior services go to the nonprofit,” Butler explained. “It moves that cost of her salary and staff time to public health.”
Butler said the $20,000 transfer has been included as a line in the budget, but will only be transferred if it is needed. The funds are used as match for grants.
The only decision left for commissioners to make is potential reductions to the Washington State University Extension office. Discussions to move the office from out of the county courthouse have also taken place. A decision is expected on Monday prior to the preliminary budget presentation at 5:30 p.m. in the basement of the courthouse.
