Gossett Puts Forward Budget Proposal
Since the recession began in 2008 Snohomish County has made positive steps to adapt to the new economic reality. Nearly 400 positions have been eliminated. Some employees and elected officials accepted pay reductions or furloughs in 2009 and 2010. And Attrition Reduction Management (ARM) was implemented as a short term solution to give the economy time to recover. Under ARM departments are required to meet a required spending reduction target by not filling vacancies.
While intended to last a year or two, ARM is now expected to continue until at least 2017. The proposed 2013 budget also increases the amount of money departments must save by 25%.
"ARM is now causing significant problems, especially for public safety departments," said Snohomish County Councilmember Dave Gossett. "If the proposed budget is adopted the Sheriff will have to keep 21 positions vacant, resulting in slower response times, delays in investigations, and increased overtime at the jail. The Prosecutor now has a backlog of 1,500 non-violent/drug felony cases."
Another temporary strategy adopted by many counties, including Snohomish County, was "supplantation" of .1% Mental Health/Chemical Dependency Sales Tax (MH/CD) dollars. "Supplantation" takes place when money originally meant for one purpose is shifted to another.
Snohomish County committed at the time the .1% MH/CD sales tax was passed that all funds would be used for new services, not for existing services. As a result of the recession, the State Legislature allowed counties to use supplantation for several years. The proposed 2013 budget will result in the continued supplantation of millions of dollars, resulting in less being available for new and needed mental health and drug and alcohol services.
"If we can phase out supplantation sooner we can keep our commitment to taxpayers and provide a better life for the mentally ill," said Gossett. "And providing more services to help the mentally ill and chemically dependent will create a safer society and reduce costs in the criminal justice system."
A final area of budget concern for Gossett is the underfunding of capital. In 2008 a combination of rehabilitation of the existing Courthouse/Mission Building complex and construction of an additional courthouse building was discussed with a cost of $180,000,000. In 2012, the proposal was scaled back to $110,000,000.
"There are serious safety concerns with the existing facility," said Gossett. "Prisoners, including violent and dangerous ones, travel the same hallways as victims and witnesses. Imagine if your child was molested and had to share the hallway with their molester on the way to the courtroom."
The age of the existing courthouse and Mission Building also means they have significant structural problems including seismic issues, asbestos, leaking windows, aging mechanical systems, and inefficient and poorly designed space.
Another capital need for public safety is a permanent location for the Sheriff's South Precinct. Originally planned to have been completed by now, it was placed on hold as a result of the recession's impact. Deputies currently use leased space. A permanent location more centrally located to their service area would both provide better long-term service and be more cost-effective.
"The county is going to ask the state to partially fund the construction of the precinct in next year's capital budget," said Gossett. "But we will have to have about $3,000,000 in matching money."
This week Gossett proposed a plan to address these problems.
"In the last decade, Snohomish County has been very conservative when it comes to General Fund property tax increases," said Gossett. "We have not increased them since 2003 and actually decreased them in 2008. Excluding new construction, the county collects less today than it did in 2003."
Gossett proposed a two-step property tax increase with half taking place in 2013 and the second half in 2014. If adopted, the total General Fund tax increase in the last decade would be 5%. Inflation in the same period is roughly 25%.
"75% of non-Snohomish County Washington residents will live in a county that has increased General Fund property taxes more," noted Gossett.
Half of the increase would address reducing ARM to roughly one-quarter of its size in 2013 and completely eliminating it in 2014. It would also accelerate the end of supplantation of the MH/CD sales tax.
The second half would be used to partially fund phase I of the capital program. Construction of a new building of at least three stories, designed to accommodate additions to make it seven stories as needed, would be funded at approximately $35,000,000. Roughly $30,000,000 would be used to rehabilitate the existing Courthouse/Mission Building complex. $3,000,000 would be made available as matching funds for the Sheriff's South County precinct.
The tax increase would cover 60% of the cost. The county would dedicate future revenues to fund the rest of the capital projects. The cost to the average Snohomish County homeowner would be approximately $6.70 in 2013 with another $6.70 in 2014.
"This is not a plan to go back to staffing levels from before 2008,"said Gossett. "I recognize that this is the 'new normal'. But in the interest of public safety we need to find a way to allow departments to fill their existing positions and meet our capital needs."
