Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, September 5, 2008

Reardon seeks to cut 95 county positions

Most would be in the planning, emergency management and parks departments.

By Krista J. Kapralos, Herald Writer

 EVERETT -- Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon asked the County Council on Thursday to eliminate the jobs of 95 people in order to balance his proposed 2009-10 budget.

Reardon also said the council should eliminate 50 positions that are already vacant and won't be filled because of a hiring freeze.

Reardon unveiled to several hundred county employees his plans for spending and saving tax dollars over the next two years. His proposal had been kept secret as he and his staff developed it over the course of several months, even though county councilmen and other elected officials asked for a chance to prepare for possible budget cuts.

"In difficult financial times, change is hard," Reardon said. "Some folks have a hard time with change, and I recognize that."

Many of the county's elected officials, including County Clerk Sonya Kraski, Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis, council Chairman Dave Somers and others have complained that Reardon cut them out of the budget process.

Reardon on Thursday said every county department was involved throughout the year.

Problems arose when elected county officials balked after being asked to propose cuts to their own budgets, county Executive Director Deanna Dawson said.

"We asked them where they would cut, and some departments said, 'I couldn't possibly,'" Dawson said. "Somebody needs to be the grown-up in the room and make the choice."

Somers expressed relief that he and other councilmen now have the proposed budget in hand. Mike Cooper, vice chairman of the council, said in a statement released after Reardon's budget address Thursday that he's eager to get to work.

"I am confident that council chair Somers will make sure this process is public and done in the light of day," he said. "I look forward to the executive joining us in this effort."

The council now has until Nov. 24 to review Reardon's proposed budget, tweak it or find alternatives.

Reardon's proposal is based on a general fund budget of about $215 million in 2009 and $222 million in 2010. Reardon said in his address that his proposed budget represents a 2.5 percent reduction from the county's previous financial projection for spending over five years.

The general fund pays for day-to-day operations of county government, including courts, police, the jail and planning.

With the addition of spending on roads and other projects not covered under the general fund, the proposed total budget is $676 million for 2009 and $652 million for 2010.

Reardon's 2009 general fund budget is $5 million more than is budgeted this year. Most of the proposed staff cuts would occur in the county's planning and parks departments*. Reardon said the county's Human Resources department is prepared to help those people find jobs either within the county government or elsewhere.

Reardon is proposing to add three staff to his department, but would make that happen mostly by shifting jobs. One of the positions to be added is a diversity manager the council approved early this year. The other two slots are for economic developers. Reardon would pay for them with funding shifted from the county's finance department.

Sheriff John Lovick's staff would be cut by 1.5 positions. Those positions are already vacant. The percentage of the budget being spent on public safety is proposed to climb to 73 percent, reflecting rising costs.

"A priority of mine is law and justice," Reardon said. "We kept (the Sheriff's Office) as whole as we could without taking sheriff's deputies off the street."

Somers said that although he hasn't had a chance to review Reardon's proposal, he's concerned that the sheriff's office could be disproportionately funded.

"If we keep going this way, pretty soon we'll just have jails," he said.

Reardon proposed creating an Auto Theft Task Force to crack down on one of the community's most vexing crime problems. The task force is something Lovick requested.

If the council approves Reardon's plan, the county's 13 senior centers would get more money.

"We are sorry that there are staff cuts elsewhere, but we're obviously happy that the county executive supports the growing population of seniors in the county," said Marc Avni, director of the East County Senior Center. "Now that the baby boomers are seniors, we just have an ever-increasing demand for services."

Reardon also is asking the council to invest in the Early Childhood Educational Assistance Program.

*Correction, Sept. 5, 2008: This story on Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon's proposed 2009-2010 budget that ran Friday incorrectly reported details about possible staffing changes. Most of the proposed cuts would occur in the county’s planning and parks departments. The number of people working for the Department of Emergency Management would not change. The Sheriff’s Office could lose 1.5 full-time staff members. The county’s Human Resources Department is prepared to work with county employees who may lose their jobs. The budget also proposes funding the Early Childhood Educational Assistance Program.

Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA