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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
September 24, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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September 24, 2020
 
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Commissioners approve increased CARES Act funds I. By Kirk—Boxleitner kbox/eitner@masoncounty. com The Mason County Commissioners approved a contract on Sept. 22 with the Economic Development Council of Mason County to use CARES (Coro- navirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Se- curity) Act funds for two emergency grants of $10,000 each to iFIBER One, and the Shelton-Mason County Jour- nal to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Although the three commissioners’ vote was unanimous, it did not pro- ceed without public comment, since resident Tom Davis, a self-described “free market advocate” and “progres- sive,” expressed concerns not only' over the government funding private businesses, but also with the govern- ment funding media that report on that same government. “If $10,000 is all that stands be- tween you and financial duress, you’re already underwater,” said Davis, who commended MasonWebTV.com for its “principled reasons” for withdraw- ing itself from consideration for such funding. ' District 3 Commissioner and Com— mission Chair Sharon Trask respond- ed to Davis’ concerns by describing 2020 as “an ,unprecedented year,” and identified media such as iFIBER One and the Journal as aiding Mason County in “getting the word out” and being transparent about its govern- ment processes. “We want to let the public know what we’re doing,” Trask said. “I appreciate where you’re com— ing from,” said District Commis— sioner Kevin Shutty, who told Davis he shared his concerns in principle, enough that he’d “struggled with his vote,” but like Trask, Shutty consid- ered 2020 an exceptional year due to the coronavirus, and differed with Davis’ suggestion that running a busié ness should include preparing for such circumstances. . “This is a global pandemic,” Shutty said. “This is hitting Fortune 500 com- panies. It’s a challenging time across the board.” Shutty did express some qualms with the process, notably with the two media grants being set aside from the other CARES Act funds, but he pointed out that the situation overall is serious enough that both of the two major political parties are wrestling with COVID response funding on a national level. District 1 Commissioner Randy Neatherlin explained the two media agencies’ grants were separated from the other CARES Act funds adminis-' tered by the EDC because both iFI- BER One and the Journal were con- sidered to benefit the entire county, rather than any of its three districts specifically. Neatherlin acknowledged that $10,000 is hardly a cure—all for a struggling business, but he touted the value of such an amount to a business’ immediate survival. “If a man is starving, you give him a sandwich,” Neatherlin said. “It doesn’t fix things for him forever, but it helps him survive for the moment.” Neatherlin also expressed confi- dence the two grants wouldn’t com- promise the objectivity of the media receiving them, opining that “I’m not even sure the staff of the Journal like me,” based on what they’d previously written about him, “but that’s OK.” Shutty asserted the importance of having a paper of record within the county, and echoed Neatherlin’s as- surances that iFIBER One and the Journal would remain impartial. “At times, they’ve been very criti- cal of this commission, and God bless them for it,” Shutty said. “People need a forum where they can weigh in.” The commissioners also voted unanimously to approve an amend— ment to the state Department of Com- merce’s Coronavirus Relief Funds for Local Governments/CARES Act Funds for Local Governments in Washington State, which increases the awarded funds from $3,821,400 to $5,211,000, and pushes the contract end date from Oct. 31 to Nov. 30. ' ’ SheltOn—Mason County Journal General Manager John Lester ex— pressed his thanks to the Mason County EDC and the county'commis- sioners for their efforts, involving the CARES Act, to “strengthen the back- bone of local journalism in Mason County.” Assessed valuation notices. Staff regal?" news@masoncounty. com Mason County property owners should see the assessor’s annual No- tice of Value in the mail. It was sent out Wednesday. In accordance with state law, the county assessor is required to notify taxpayers of any change in the true and fair value of their property. Assessed values are based on sales in your local neighborhood, and can , vary throughout Mason County’s com- munities. Mason County sales have increased 8.5% in the last year, so property own- ers are likely to see this reflected on their assessment. Sales information will be available on the county assessor’s website, along with additional information regarding assessment. If they have not already done so, property owners can sign up to receive property valuation notices via email, instead of through the US. Postal Ser- Vice. sent to property owners The decision to “Go Paperless” is environmentally friendly, and will save additional dollars in staff time and postage. Visit www.cnoticesonline.com to learn more. If you do not agree with the as- ' sessed value of your property, contact the county assessor’s office. Property owners who are unable to resolve their concerns directly with the assessor’s office can appeal their values to the Board of Equalization within 30 days of the date of the valu- ation notice. The assessor’s office will be open to the public for in-person servic- es from 9 am. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. ' The assessor’s office strongly en- courages continued use of its shared drop box, mail, online or phone con- tact options. If you desire in-person services, you must wear a face cover- ing to enter the building. 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