By Warren Cornwall
Herald Writer
The Snohomish County Council on Wednesday endorsed a plan to hire four sheriff’s deputies, despite concerns voiced by the county executive’s office about the cost and the way the decision was handled.
In a 5-0 vote, the council approved what is touted as a first shot at a larger staffing shortfall in the sheriff’s office. Already, council members and the sheriff’s office are turning their eyes to ways to pay for bigger future increases in criminal justice programs.
"Law and justice needs to be elevated to priority one in the eyes of the council," said council member Jeff Sax, who was elected in November and has said the county should hire 47 new patrol deputies this year.
The move could cost as much as $480,000 the first year and more than $300,000 in following years. It also rewrites a budget passed in November by the previous council.
With the 2001 election, majority control switched from Democrats to Republicans in January, and the new council leadership moved swiftly to craft the hiring plan, unveiling it on Monday.
New council chairman Gary Nelson, a Republican, said the move is the first in a sustained effort to boost criminal justice in the county and to send this message: "If people are going to commit crimes, they better go someplace else."
Paying for it could prove the biggest challenge.
Council analysts have proposed financing the four deputies from a $1 million reserve set aside in case the Legislature stops sending money to the county. The state money is meant to make up for revenues lost when the car tab tax was slashed in 2000.
If the Legislature does cancel that funding, the county could stitch together enough to pay for one year with county dollars that went unspent in 2001, said council analyst Sharie Freemantle.
Paying for the deputies in future years, or for additional deputies on top of them, might require cuts in spending in other departments, Nelson said. Candidates for closer scrutiny include spending to meet Endangered Species Act requirements to protect salmon, and hiring analysts to implement new development regulations for the Public Works Department, he said.
Nelson said he was working on a long-term answer to criminal justice shortages, but offered few specifics.
Council member Dave Gossett said he is crafting a proposal of his own, but declined to discuss details Wednesday. While Gossett voted to hire the new deputies, the Democrat said he was concerned the hiring could unfairly use taxes of city residents when most deputies work outside cities.
He also challenged claims that criminal justice hadn’t been a priority of the previous council. He noted that nearly 70 percent of the current general fund budget goes to law and justice, an increase over previous years.
"I think it’s a misperception that public safety has not been a priority of the council," Gossett said.
Sheriff Rick Bart praised the new additions, but said he too was focused on finding more money for a long-term hiring plan.
"Of course we think it’s great news, but I’m really trying to stay focused on what’s the real problem, and that’s a long-term solution," he said.
Bart in the past has sought dramatic staff increases, asking for 47 new deputies and more than 10 support staff during 2001 budget discussions. He pointed to a computer model of staffing needs to back his requests, and said staff shortages are hurting officers’ ability to quickly respond to calls.
The previous council earmarked money to hire five new deputies, with four put on hold until later this year, citing budget constraints.
The decision came as County Executive Bob Drewel’s second in command, Gary Weikel, urged the council to make sure the added staff not hurt other departments at a time when staff cuts may be needed to meet budget limits in 2003.
"Before hiring additional staff, we need to assure that we will not be forced to cut back too deeply in other areas of need," he wrote in a letter to Nelson Wednesday.
The letter also revealed the changing relationship between the Democratic executive and a council newly under Republican control. Weikel asked that in the future, council leadership discuss plans with the executive to improve coordination between branches of government. A good starting point, he said, would be talks about future funding for the sheriff’s department.
You can call Herald Writer Warren Cornwall at 425-339-3463 or send e-mail to cornwall@heraldnet.com.
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