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By NATALIE JOHNSON approve a resolution reduc- raises to our staff," Commis-
nalalie@masoncou~ty.com ing the salaries of commis- sinner Lynda Ring Erickson
..................................................................... sinners in districts 1 and 2 said. "Commissioners can-
to 2008 levels and place a not set what their salary
The Mason County Board 3-percent cap on any future will be ... during the term of
of Commissioners discussed commissioner raises, their office."
at length Tuesday a propos- Currently, all three corn- The commission could not
al to decrease commissioner missioners receive aboutvote to amend the commis-
salaries, and set other elect- $78,000 per year plus ben- sinner for district 3's salary
ed officials' salaries using efits, with a 3 percent raise because the term for that
an independent salary corn- annually. In 2008, their sal- commissioner does not ex-
mission, ary was closer to $72,000. pire until 2015. According
"I'm not going to let this The commissioners' sala-to state law, commissioners
lay," Commissioner Steve ries, and annual 3-percent can only vote to amend their
Bloomfield said. "This is not raises, have become an in- salaries in election years
about politics. This is about creasingly hot issue during when their position is up for
equity and bringing things this election season, election.
back in line." "It's been an issue these The item also attached
The board began Tuesday last few years because times the salaries of the assessor,
with an agenda item ask- have been tough and we auditor, clerk, coroner, trea-
ing the commissioners to haven't been able to give surer and sheriff to a list of
elected officials whose sala-
ries Was .
itize ommi on
on Salaries for Elected Of-
ficials.
Commissioner Tim Shel-
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don asked that the commis-
sion agree to table the me- Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
tion for 30 days while the Mason County Commissioner Tim Sheldon spoke out against decreasing
county's Human Resources county commissioner salaries Tuesday, speaking in favor of those
Department does a survey salaries being set by a local or state salary committee.
of the salaries of non-judi-
cial elected officials in Ma-
son County and compare he said. "Local salaries are after the election and, he so long.
their pay to elected officials a local issue." said. that would make the "I have reservations
in comparable counties. Roslynne Reed. who is decision less political, about waiting 30 days," he
County elected officials running against SheldonHowever, if the decision said. "I would be open to ta-
and citizens running for for the commission district was made after the general bling this for one week."
county commission posi- 2 seat, asked when the me- election in November, the Ring Erickson summed
tions in the general election tion was first discussed and change in pay could not take up the issue.
spoke out during the meet- how it was brought to the effect untilafter the new "I think there are prob-
ing about the motion, and agenda. Denny Hamilton, a commissioner's first term ably two issues in front of
Sheldon's request to table it. candidate for the district 1 was up four years later, us," she said. "One issue is
Mason County Assessor seat, voiced his support of Sheldon said he didn't the commissioners' salary,
Melody Peterson asked that a decrease in commissioner agree with decreasing the which probably needs to be
the motion be tabled to give pay. salaries of commissioners addressed before the elec-
elected officials in Mason Sheldon said the issue in district 1 and 2 while tion."
County a chance to be in- has become political recent- district 3 continues to draw The other issue, she said,
volved in the decision, ly. more money, is the need to set up a local
Tom Davis, a Mason "I would like to take this "I don't think that's eq= committee to set the sala-
County resident, also voiced out of the political realm," uitable." he said. "I don't ries of elected officials and
his opinion in favor of de- he said. "I think that the want to make the positions commissioners.
creasing commissioner sala- motion that I've made is a pay less money. I think we The commission agreed to
ries. However, he spoke out fact finding mission. I be- would have difficulty find- bring up both issues again
against a state salary corn- lieve a local salary commis- ing people who would run." at its next regular meeting
mission, sion would be a good idea." Bloomfield. who origi- on Oct. 23, after getting a le-
"This was not meant to Sheldon said he proposed nally placed the item on the gal opinion on the process of
be a benchmark for local tabling the motion for 30 agenda, said he disagreed creating a local salary corn-
elected officials' salaries." days because it would occur with tabling the motion for mittee.
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Page A-2 - Shelton,Mason County Journal -Thursday, Oct. 18,
On Tuesday, the Mason County and
Port of Shelton boards of commission-
ers sat down at the same table and
discussed the future of a fair in Mason
County.
After an hour-long discussion, the
groups agreed to create a county-wide
advisory committee on the topic, and
support a ballot measure next spring
to ask the public if they would support
the county funding construction of a new
fairgrounds on county land near the pub-
lic works building on U.S. Highway 101.
"I appreciate the commission coming
together ... to talk about an issue that's
very important to our community," Mason
County Commissioner Tim Sheldon said.
County Commissioner Steve Bloom-
field called the meeting out of concern
that the port commission had over-
stepped its authority in creating a
county-wide advisory committee, led by
the port, to discuss the possibility of the
port leading an effort to move the fair-
grounds. He said the port only has au-
thority to create an advisory committee
made of up residents of the port district.
"I was a little taken back by the fact
that the port had decided to go to a coun-
ty-wide committee," Bloomfield said.
'%Ve needed to communicate commis-
sion to commission ... and try to get a
reasonable, logical vision for the future."
In 2001, the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration (FAA) notified the Port of
Shelton that because the land is desig-
nated as "airport reserve" on the port's
1997 master plan, the port is required
to revert the land back to airport use or
another FAA-approved use after 2013,
the last year of the 50-year county lease.
In 2009, the county commission cut
the fair from its budget.
"It was a choice between I think cut-
ting more employees and keeping the
fair open," Commissioner Lynda Ring
Erickson said. "There were people cer-
tainly on both sides of that issue."
Since 2010, John and Rachel Hansen
with Northwest Event Organizers, and
the Mason County Fair Association have
teamed up to run the Mason Area Fair.
Recently, two schools of thought
have emerged on the future of the fair-
grounds.
' "There's still two conversations going
on," said Ring Erickson. "One is do we
preserve the current fairgrounds in its
2012
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
Port of Shelton Commissioners Jay Hupp, left, Dick Taylor
and Tom Wallitner attended a meeting with the Mason County
Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to discuss the future of the
fairgrounds.
curren~ spot. or do we move forward on infrastructure, such as a sewer system,
a new location?" already exists on the property, it might
Port Commissioner Jay Hupp has only cost $8 million to put up a few basic
spoken out in favor of ignoring the FAA buildings.
decision and continuing m operate the She also suggested that some local
fair a~ its current location, companies might be willing to sponsor a
Bloomfield has also spoken in favor building.
of keeping the fairgrounds at its curren~ "There has to be a decision made,"
location. Port Commission Chair Dick Taylor
"I've been a supportor of the fair and said. "The fair is a bigger entity than
of the current facility as it stands and just the port district."
the use of it for fairs and other events." Sheldon suggested the creation of a
he said. "I think it's an impor~an~ part of committee that both the port and the
our heritage. I disagree with knuckling county could appoint citi2ens that could
under the FAA. direct the county on the issue.
Ring Erickson noted that to move the "It's our role, not your role to pull it
fairgrounds, the county would not have together," he said.
to come up with a new plan. That committee could advise the corn-
In 2007, Mason County completed mission to do a number of things, Ring Er-
a plan to relocate the fairgrounds from ickson said, such as creating a new parks
Port of Shelton property to 40 acres of and recreation district or selling bonds.
county-owned property near the Mason She suggested that the committee
County Public Works building on U.S. could come to the county commission with
Highway 101. a recommendation on which course to
However, in 2008 the global economy pursue by January 2013, then the county
took a massive turn for the worse and could put out a ballot in a special election
the plan was set aside, in March or May 2013 to get citizen input.
Both the plan and the property are "There's no other alternative than to
still available, go to the people," Port of Shelton Com-
"I don't think you're going to beat a missioner Tom Wallitner said.
deal where you already have the plan The county commission plans to vote
and already have the property," Ring on the creation of a fairgrounds advisory
Erickson said. committee at its next regular meeting at
Ring Erickson suggested that since 9 a.m. on Tuesday.