Notice: Undefined index: HTTP_REFERER in /home/stparch/public_html/headmid_temp_main.php on line 4394
Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
December 3, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
PAGE 8     (8 of 40 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
 
PAGE 8     (8 of 40 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
December 3, 2020
 
Newspaper Archive of Shelton Mason County Journal produced by SmallTownPapers, Inc.
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader




Page A—8 - Shelton-Mason County Journal — Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 County declines allowed 1% property tax increases By Kirk Boxleitner kbox/eitner@masoncounty. com Mason County residents will not see an increase in their property taxes for 2021 after county commissioners passed resolutions Nov. 24 to raise the 2021 property tax levies for current ex- penses and roads by 0% rather than the 1% allowed. The current expense levy was set at $10,466,495, while the road levy was set at $11,208,298. Commissioners also approved a diversion of $1,080,000 fromthe road levy to the current ex— pense levy. , “It’s a compliment to the commis- sion,” District 1 Commissioner Randy Neatherlin said. “I can assure you, oth- er counties are not doing the same. I’m proud of you all of us.” District 2 Commissioner Kevin Shutty described the commissioners’ joint decision as a priority “I think we all shared, going into the budget this year, recognizing the challenges that people are facing.” While Shutty stated that neither he nor his fellow Mason County commis- sioners would presume to speak for ju— nior taxing districts or the state on the matter of property taxes, he deemed 2020 “a unique year” that made it well worth it for the commissioners to consider “providing some tax relief” to their own county and its taxpayers. Shutty acknowledged that a num— ber of details remain to be worked out, especially as the county proceeds to- ward adopting a budget for 2021 within weeks, but he sees it as fortunate that “we’ve worked very hard, over the past couple of years, to build up our fund balance, so that we could weather situ- ations like this.” Shutty echoed Neatherlin in noting that Mason County is not taking the allowed 1% increase before he com- mended the county’s budget staff, and county Assessor’s Office staff, for pro- viding the commissioners with “a good picture of the finances” so the board could deliberate in an informed man- ner and “make this decision on behalf of our constituents.” “This has been quite the experience, and quite the year, to have so many things going on,” said District 3 Com- missioner Sharon Trask, who noted‘ she’s sitting 'in on her second budget year this year. “We do want to make sure that Mason County residents are taken care of as much as we can.” The proposed expense budget for 2021 adds up to $53,464,511, of which more than $14.5 million would go to- ward the Sheriffs Office, $2.7 million would be set aside for community de- velopment and more than $2 million would be devoted to juvenile court ser- vices. , As for the county’s proposed $72,388,976 budget for “special and. other” funds in 2021, county roads would receive more than $29 million, the landfill would get more than $5 mil- lion and $4.8 million would be directed to the Belfair sewer system. A public hearing on Mason County’s 2021 budget is set for 9 a.m. on Mon- day and copies of the budget are avail- able on the county website at www. co.mason.wa.us/commissioners/2021- budget-information.php. Water, sewer, solid waste rates set to increase in 2021 By kirk Boxleitner kbox/eitner@masoncounty. com The Mason County Board of Commissioners next week is set to approve solid-waste disposal rate increases for 2021, and water and sewer sys- tem rate increases for North Bay, Rustlewood and Beards Cove. Per existing Mason County resolutions, solid- waste disposal rates at all Mason County transfer and drop box stations will increase by 2.1% begin- ning Jan. 1, just as all water and sewer rates and fees at the Mason County-owned-and-operated Rustlewood, Beards Cove and North Bay/Case In- let water and sewer systems will increase by 1.3% for the 2021 calendar year. County resolutions dictate these solid-waste fees should increase each year by the amount of the October-to-October Consumer Price Index for the Olympia metropolitan area, to cover the annual cost increase experienced by Mason County to op- erate and maintain the Shelton, Hoodsport, Union and Belfair transfer and drop box stations. County resolutions also dictate that the increase in water and sewer rates and fees should corre- spond to the April 2020 Consumer Price Index for the Bremerton area, for the one-year period that ended in April of this year. By county resolution, this latter increase ap- plies to all charges associated with the aforemen: tioned water and sewer utility'systems, including monthly service rates, connection and permit fees, and other related charges, as well as covering the annual cost increase experienced by the county for the operation and maintenance of those utility sys— terns. Notices are Set to be mailed out to Beards Cove, North Bay/Case Inlet and Rustlewood utility users. Based on the CPI adjustment for 2019 to 2020 of 2.1%, the disposal rates for 2021 at the Mason County solid waste transfer station increased. The refuse collection tax is 3.6% of the untaxed rates. In Rustlewood, the monthly rates are $40.82 for water and $108.82 for sewer, for a total of $149.64, and the connection fees are $2,346.52 for water and $5,866.27 for sewer, for a total of$8,212.80 in‘2021. In Beards Cove, the monthly rate is $40.82, and the connection fee is $2,346.52, for water in 2021, while in Belfair, the monthly rate is $96, and the connection rate is $1 1,300, per equivalent rate unit for sewer in 2021. And in North Bay/Case Inlet, the monthly rate is $115, the connection fee is $11,561.69 and the grinder pump fee is $4,547.63, for sewer in 2021. comm Commissioners look at radar units Mason County commissioners re- ceived a briefing Nov. 23 on a proposal that the board authorize Public Works to purchase five law enforcement ra- dar units, STARnext software and a laptop as a sole-source purchase total- ing $15,870. Mike Collins, county engineer and Public Works deputy director, said the department uses road tube traffic counters to collect traffic data on coun- ty-maintained roads to monitor road use and changes in traffic flow. According to Collins, the county’s traffic counters have outdated soft- ware and require staff to enter the traffic streamyto install tubes on the road. Collins said the new radar units can be used year-round, and can be mounted to light poles and signposts along one side of the road, without road tubes or installation in the road, creating safer conditions for staff. The $15,870 cost of the law enforce- ment radar units, with a laptop and software, would come out of the 2020 road fund budget. Because JAMAR Technologies is the sole source supplier of the law an- forcement radar traffic counter and the STARnext software system, the proposal presented to the board Nov. 23 asserted that the county would be authorized to purchase this package without proceeding ‘to secure com- petitive bids, since state law specifies w, .m’ . CANNABIS fo , Gurbsr P«i kup 30%0FF Store-Wide Until 12/31/2 , .1; _l 3331 WA Hwy 3 - Shelton 360—1126 06/5 Owned 8: Operated 210 This product has intoxicating eflem and may be habit forming. Marijuana (an impair toneqttration. coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehide or maritlnery under the influence of this drug. There maybe health risksasstxiated “ with consumption of this . . prod utt. For use only by adults twenty one and older. Keep out 01 the reach of (hlldren 1065 SE WA Hwy ' Shelton 3607112673390 exemptions to competitive bidding requirements for purchases that are “clearly and legitimately” limited to a single source of supply. Tree removal on North Shore Road Mason County Public Works Direc- tor Loretta Swanson reported Nov. 24 on a partnership between the county and Mason Public Utility District 3 to remove trees on North Shore Road. Mason County Public Works is advising drivers that the county and PUD 3 are working together to re- move potential hazardous trees from the banks of North Shore Road be- tween milepost 14.19, near the inter- section with Belfair Tahuya Road to milepost 19.76, near Old Cedar Hill Lane. Swanson said the effort is intended to reduce the number of power outag- es and emergency road closures due to downed trees. The project is set to operate as a mobile unit, leaving one lane open to traffic, requiring temporary delays to allow crews to safely fell the trees during daylight Mondays through Fridays. Public Works Department anticipates it will take two weeks to complete. A reader board is stationed at the beginning of North Shore Road to ad- vise drivers of delays during the proj- ect. I Compiled by Kirk Boxleitner Ru 3“: 9 Thank You for the Great Support and Patronage Over the Years! V Clipperz Barber Shop is Closing December 23Lcl i. wviW‘ElipperzbarbdfiOm Rwy m A. d “41‘