County Eliminates 64 Unfilled Positions

Spokane County Commissioners eliminated 64 county positions Tuesday without firing a soul.

The positions, which Commissioner Steve Hasson called “bogus,” were approved by commissioners over the years but never filled by county departments. Another 83 unfilled positions remain; commissioners haven’t decided whether some of them should be eliminated.

Commissioners last week put a 30-day freeze on most hiring to get a handle on exactly how many workers the county has. They want to know why the number grows by an average of about one employee every five days.

The number of county positions, including those that are unfilled, grew from 1,213 in 1987 to 1,803 as of April 1 of this year. That 50 percent increase came while county population grew by 15 percent.

It’s unclear how many of the 127 vacant positions are funded.

A county accountant said last week departments are getting money for the positions but use it on other expenses. Commissioner Skip Chilberg said he doesn’t think that’s true.

Tuesday’s action “gives us better control in the future,” when department heads ask for more workers, Chilberg said. “It doesn’t save any money.”

Hasson said he thinks at least some of the positions are funded.