King County settles pay disputes for $9.2 million

SEATTLE — King County will pay more than $9.2 million to settle two lawsuits that county employees filed over their pay.

"It comes at the worst possible time for the general fund," said Larry Phillips, the County Council’s budget chairman.

The county faces a projected shortfall of about $20 million when council members begin the 2004 budget process next week.

The county will pay $7.56 million to settle a lawsuit covering as many as 1,100 deputies and other hourly employees of the sheriff’s office. The employees had sued over delays by the office in timely payment of overtime and other special pay, which is a violation of labor laws.

The council also approved a second settlement on Monday, which will cost $1.67 million for underpaying hourly county employees who worked one or two days more a year than they were paid for.

The total of the two settlements doesn’t include the value of future extra vacation time — about $4.3 million — that some employees agreed to accept in lieu of cash settlements, which would have come from other budget needs.

County officials have said if the suits went to trial, they could have cost the county several times as much.

"Our intent in crafting these (settlements) was very much to minimize the cash cost and minimize the burden to the county," budget director Steve Call said.

"We’re settling an acknowledged liability on the part of the county for very little cash," he said. "And the vacation accrual can be used over several years."

Both settlements would be paid with money appropriated from the 2003 budget and are subject to approval by King County Superior Court, where the lawsuits were filed.