County Looks For Lean Department Budgets Again Law Enforcement, Sagging Sales Tax Revenue Taking Its Toll

Spokane County commissioners will issue their annual call for department budgets today, signaling the start of an arduous two-month process that could be titled “Doing More With Less.”

Managers will be asked to snip and squeeze in hopes of helping pilot the county through financially troubled waters one more time.

“It’s been five years in a row,” Auditor Bill Donahue said. “When we have to put out so much for law and justice, when that’s a priority, the other departments have to suffer.”

Department heads and elected officials have two weeks to submit their budgets and then six weeks to argue they can’t live with it and need more.

But ultimately, county commissioners must cut an estimated 3.5 percent from the general fund to arrive at a 1996 budget of $81 million.

That will allow the county to set aside $1 million in reserves to begin rebuilding its rainy-day account and satisfy bond raters on Wall Street, said Marshall Farnell, the county’s director of budget and finance.

Agencies outside the general fund - such as public works, the three golf courses and the Interstate Fairgrounds - pay for themselves by generating revenues and are not affected by the cuts.

Next year will be another lean one because of salary and benefit increases of nearly $3.3 million, nearly $500,000 for overtime at the jail and for deputies, and expenditures of $276,000 for courthouse security.

Farnell and his number crunchers also forecast a $504,000 decrease in sales tax revenues as the construction industry continues its slide.

“I don’t think 3.5 percent is that onerous,” Farnell said, “but it will be a struggle for some departments.”

The county clerk’s office will be asked to trim nearly $50,000 from its $1.6 million budget. But many of the office’s duties are mandated by the state Legislature, such as administering courts and counseling violence victims.

“It’s a difficult time,” chief deputy clerk Gary Berg said. “We’re going to look real hard at each line item and see if there’s anywhere we can squeeze. We still have to operate.”

The good news, Commissioner Steve Hasson said, is that “I don’t see any of these cuts translating into any more layoffs or reduction of staff.”

Commissioners laid off a half-dozen people this summer and eliminated about 80 vacant jobs.

They are considering appointing an advisory board to screen requests for new hires or the filling of vacant positions, Hasson said.

, DataTimes