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County elected officials stand up to crippling budget cuts
By NATALIE JOHNSON
Mason County elected officials
are speaking out after the county
commission directed them to cut a
further 8.5 percent from their pre-
liminary budgets last Monday, Oct.
31.
The commission asked that the
officials turn in the alternate bud-
gets by Tuesday, Nov. 7.
At Tuesday's meeting, Sheriff
Casey Salisbury presented a letter
in reply, signed by ten department
heads and elected officials in Ma-
son County. The letter indicated
that the ten officials would be "un-
willing" to draft budgets with the
proposed cuts.
"The letter that I'm about to
read is representing a number of
the citizens in the room as well as
the elected officials who signed,"
Salisbury said.
Salisbury signed the letter,
along with County Assessor Mel-
ody Peterson, Prosecutor Mike
Dorcy, Clerk Pat Swartos, District
Court Judge Victoria Meadows,
Auditor Karen Herr, Coroner Wes
Stockwell, Treasurer Lisa Frazier,
Judge Amber Finlay and Judge
Toni Sheldon.
"Given the speculative, complex
and evolving state budget process,
we do not believe it is responsible
to significantly cut the budgets of
elected offices legally mandated to
provide services on an across the
board basis," the letter states. '~Ve
are therefore unwilling to comply
with the board's October 31, 2011
request.., in that we do not believe
it is responsible to the priorities of
local government and to the con-
stituents that our respective offices
are legally mandated to serve."
All three county commissioners
responded, saying that the cuts are
necessary in preparation for up to
$2 million in possible cuts originat-
ing at the state level.
"We're in a time of unprecedent-
ed economic uncertainty," commis-
sioner Tim Sheldon said.
Sheldon, who is also a state sen-
ator in the 35th legislative district,
said many departments at the state
level have been told to prepare for
10 percent cuts in an effort to save
an additional $1.4 million.
"I hope we can all work together
for resolution," Sheldon said to the
county officials at Tuesday's meet-
ing. "There really is an economic
Journa DnOIO Dy Natalie Johnson
Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury reads a letter for county commissioners Tuesday morning that he and nine
other elected officials and department heads wrote speaking out against further budget cuts to mandated services.
downturn going on ... It's a tried
and true expression, you have to
plan for the worst and hope for the
best."
Salisbury spoke for the other of-
ficials who signed the letter to the
county, arguing against further
cuts.
"The elected officials I think find
that there are some discrepancies
in the budget as we see them," he
said.
Salisbury said that in a meeting
with Gov. Chris Gregiore last Fri-
cuts," he said. tial se~ces. She also questioned "We could call each other on
Commissioner Lynda Ring Er- the commissioners' decision to ask technicalities all day long, we still
ickson said many counties are in a for further cuts while in a budget have to have a budget at the end of
much worse financial position than workshop, rather than a regular the year," Sheldon said.
Mason County. county commission meeting. McGee also pointed out that be-
"I've always respected you as "This is a decision that was made cause department heads planned
thoughtful professionals," she October 31, Monday," McGee said. for their 2012 budgets to not ex-
said. "I don't think anyone sitting "I think you're leading citizens ceed their 2011 budgets, they have
at this table is responsible for the astray when you make decisions already taken a cut for the coming
world economic crisis.., but we are in workshops. To me it's violating year.
responsible if a year from now we the Open Meeting Act because it's "With inflation they have al-
aren't able to make payroll." making a decision in a workshop ready taken a cut," she said.
With an expected carryover of and you have said before you don't The commissioners voiced their
more than $5 million dollars at the make decisions in workshops." continued support of the alternate
The commissioners disagreed budget with 8.5 percent cuts.
with the statement, saying that "Under state law we can't pass a
workshops are public meetings, budget that we don't think will be
and no vote was taken, funded," Ring Erickson said.
day, he asked what she thought of end of 2012, some citizens, like for-
the 8.5 percent cut. mer county commissioner Annette
"She thought it might be a little M.cGee expressed concern over
presumptive to us to make those c~nmittingto deeper cuts to essen-
Shelton-Mason County Journal-Thursday, November 10, 2011 - Page A-3