Published: Monday, September 28, 2009
Court clerks face furloughs as threat of layoffs looms
EVERETT — Clerks at the Snohomish County Courthouse plan to do what other county departments started doing months ago: close at lunch and leave earlier each day.
And that’s not the worst of it.
The clerks, like other county departments, are adjusting to this year’s tight county budget. They fear more sacrifices loom in the year ahead.
“We wanted to keep our hours the same, but people are really starting to run out of steam,” County Clerk Sonya Kraski said. “It was not a decision made lightly.”
Other departments have made big changes, too.
In June, District Court officials all but stopped answering their phones. In May, tax, licensing and planning employees shortened their customer-service hours. The cutbacks helped the departments manage 11 employee furlough days that saved the county millions of dollars.
Some departments shut down for entire days, but clerks can’t do that; the state Constitution requires them to keep the courts running.
County Executive Aaron Reardon has proposed managing the county budget in the year ahead by making most employees take 15 unpaid furlough days — effectively shaving 5.7 percent of their paychecks. That could create more staffing trouble at places like the clerk’s office.
“The irony is that more and more people are being dragged into the court system because of the bad economy,” Kraski said.
Cases filed in Snohomish County by the end of this year are expected to reach about 32,000, surpassing 2008’s total by 7 percent. The number of people asking the court to waive fees in divorce and custody cases has increased 29 percent.
The union that represents the clerk’s employees was the first in the county this year to agree to furloughs.
Their deal to take 10 unpaid days, in exchange for vacation days in 2010 and 2011, prevented layoffs. But they don’t expect to lead the charge this year.
“It’s a huge sacrifice and I don’t see whether further cuts are even possible,” said Kathryn Fugere, president of the Snohomish County Clerks’ Association. “I’ve had people approach me already and say, ‘I can’t take the equivalent of three weeks of pay cut.’”
The clerk’s staff of about 80 has a wide array of duties. They manage court paperwork, accept filing fees, distribute restitution to crime victims, issue subpoenas and coordinate juries.
Their public desks used to be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Starting Oct. 5, their schedule will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon. They’ll reopen at 12:45 p.m. and close at 4:30 p.m.
Reardon has said his furlough plan, with which unions would have to agree, is the best way to avoid layoffs without slashing services.
The County Council plans to create its own budget, as it did last year. Its draft could be very different from the executive’s.
Council Chairman Mike Cooper said he wants to avoid cutting money for the courts or public safety. Whether that’s possible without layoffs or furloughs remains to be seen.
“We’re going to look for savings every place we can,” Cooper said. “Nobody likes to close senior centers, nobody likes to cut parks, nobody likes to cut master gardeners, but we need to evaluate everything we do.”
The executive’s proposed 2010 budget increases senior center funding by $85,000.
Councilman Brian Sullivan said he might consider major restructuring of the government, such as merging the planning department and public works. That would eliminate top managerial positions and some back-office functions.
Most Washington state counties have similar problems, but every one is finding different ways to cope, said Eric Johnson, executive director of the Washington State Association of Counties.
“We’re seeing a potpourri of options,” Johnson said.
The choices include furloughs, shorter workdays, shutting down on Fridays, making employees pay more of their health benefits, salary freezes and cutting programs.
Three-quarters of Snohomish County’s proposed $201 million 2010 general-fund budget goes to the criminal-justice system.
Sheriff John Lovick said he would lose 15 positions in the proposed budget, but would not have to lay off employees because of unfilled vacancies and retirements. That would leave him with 683 jail and law-enforcement staff.
“We are being really careful to accomplish what the executive said, to not lower the level of service in the county,” Lovick said.
The prosecuting attorney’s office, which employs nearly 190 people, could avoid layoffs with 15 furlough days, Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis said.
“Without furloughs it’s going to be devastating,” Ellis said. “It’s the best of the bad options in front of us.”
Last year, the office lost 10 deputy prosecutors.
Defense attorneys are noticing a drop in cases, said Bill Jaquette, attorney and director of the Snohomish County Public Defender Association. The public defenders’ contract with the county is based on the number cases they handle. The workload has shrunk to supporting 31.6 attorneys now from 42.6 at the beginning of 2008.
In the county’s four district courts, officials say budget cuts forced them to stop taking phone calls from the public. Beginning in June, the district courts turned on an automated phone service. People aren’t able to reach District Court clerks unless they’re making a payment. Under some special circumstances managers take calls, said Paulette Revoir, the director of district courts.
Diana Hefley contributed to this report.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
And that’s not the worst of it.
The clerks, like other county departments, are adjusting to this year’s tight county budget. They fear more sacrifices loom in the year ahead.
“We wanted to keep our hours the same, but people are really starting to run out of steam,” County Clerk Sonya Kraski said. “It was not a decision made lightly.”
Other departments have made big changes, too.
In June, District Court officials all but stopped answering their phones. In May, tax, licensing and planning employees shortened their customer-service hours. The cutbacks helped the departments manage 11 employee furlough days that saved the county millions of dollars.
Some departments shut down for entire days, but clerks can’t do that; the state Constitution requires them to keep the courts running.
County Executive Aaron Reardon has proposed managing the county budget in the year ahead by making most employees take 15 unpaid furlough days — effectively shaving 5.7 percent of their paychecks. That could create more staffing trouble at places like the clerk’s office.
“The irony is that more and more people are being dragged into the court system because of the bad economy,” Kraski said.
Cases filed in Snohomish County by the end of this year are expected to reach about 32,000, surpassing 2008’s total by 7 percent. The number of people asking the court to waive fees in divorce and custody cases has increased 29 percent.
The union that represents the clerk’s employees was the first in the county this year to agree to furloughs.
Their deal to take 10 unpaid days, in exchange for vacation days in 2010 and 2011, prevented layoffs. But they don’t expect to lead the charge this year.
“It’s a huge sacrifice and I don’t see whether further cuts are even possible,” said Kathryn Fugere, president of the Snohomish County Clerks’ Association. “I’ve had people approach me already and say, ‘I can’t take the equivalent of three weeks of pay cut.’”
The clerk’s staff of about 80 has a wide array of duties. They manage court paperwork, accept filing fees, distribute restitution to crime victims, issue subpoenas and coordinate juries.
Their public desks used to be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Starting Oct. 5, their schedule will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon. They’ll reopen at 12:45 p.m. and close at 4:30 p.m.
Reardon has said his furlough plan, with which unions would have to agree, is the best way to avoid layoffs without slashing services.
The County Council plans to create its own budget, as it did last year. Its draft could be very different from the executive’s.
Council Chairman Mike Cooper said he wants to avoid cutting money for the courts or public safety. Whether that’s possible without layoffs or furloughs remains to be seen.
“We’re going to look for savings every place we can,” Cooper said. “Nobody likes to close senior centers, nobody likes to cut parks, nobody likes to cut master gardeners, but we need to evaluate everything we do.”
The executive’s proposed 2010 budget increases senior center funding by $85,000.
Councilman Brian Sullivan said he might consider major restructuring of the government, such as merging the planning department and public works. That would eliminate top managerial positions and some back-office functions.
Most Washington state counties have similar problems, but every one is finding different ways to cope, said Eric Johnson, executive director of the Washington State Association of Counties.
“We’re seeing a potpourri of options,” Johnson said.
The choices include furloughs, shorter workdays, shutting down on Fridays, making employees pay more of their health benefits, salary freezes and cutting programs.
Three-quarters of Snohomish County’s proposed $201 million 2010 general-fund budget goes to the criminal-justice system.
Sheriff John Lovick said he would lose 15 positions in the proposed budget, but would not have to lay off employees because of unfilled vacancies and retirements. That would leave him with 683 jail and law-enforcement staff.
“We are being really careful to accomplish what the executive said, to not lower the level of service in the county,” Lovick said.
The prosecuting attorney’s office, which employs nearly 190 people, could avoid layoffs with 15 furlough days, Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis said.
“Without furloughs it’s going to be devastating,” Ellis said. “It’s the best of the bad options in front of us.”
Last year, the office lost 10 deputy prosecutors.
Defense attorneys are noticing a drop in cases, said Bill Jaquette, attorney and director of the Snohomish County Public Defender Association. The public defenders’ contract with the county is based on the number cases they handle. The workload has shrunk to supporting 31.6 attorneys now from 42.6 at the beginning of 2008.
In the county’s four district courts, officials say budget cuts forced them to stop taking phone calls from the public. Beginning in June, the district courts turned on an automated phone service. People aren’t able to reach District Court clerks unless they’re making a payment. Under some special circumstances managers take calls, said Paulette Revoir, the director of district courts.
Diana Hefley contributed to this report.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
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