County May Hire Public Relations Firm County’s Information Specialist Has Garnered Mixed Job Reviews

Dissatisfied with its image, the Spokane County Commission will consider turning over its public relations to an outside firm.

Commissioners want to know if a private company can improve media and community relations and do it for $55,000 or less a year.

Although the county has a public information specialist, Chad Hutson’s job generally has been limited to the public works department.

Commissioners want a countywide spokesperson but are divided over whether it should be Hutson, who was hired about a year ago and has earned mixed reviews from the commission.

“I’m very comfortable and confident that the job I do here is done well,” Hutson said. “… Not once has any of the county commissioners expressed to me their dissatisfaction with my performance.”

Hutson, who has the support of Public Works Director Dennis Scott and some other department managers, said his $28,000-a-year salary is a bargain.

But Hutson is asking for a $7,000 raise, saying other counties and cities pay substantially more. Such a raise, when combined with annual step increases and a benefits package, could soon raise Hutson’s total compensation package to about $55,000 a year, County Commissioner Steve Hasson said.

Jim Lindow, the county’s chief administrative officer, said the size of Hutson’s proposed raise was too much for him to approve without talking with commissioners.

As a result of those conversations, Lindow said a job description is being crafted and bids will be sought from prospective outside image-makers.

Hutson could apply for the job, said Hasson, who has questioned Hutson’s productivity and writing ability in recent months.

“He’s junk,” Hasson said. “We’re not seeing much of anything coming from public works.”

Hutson would not address Hasson’s comments directly, but said he welcomes a comparison of his salary and abilities with those of outside firms.

He added that other counties - some smaller than Spokane County - have entire staffs to do what he does.

While Hutson was hired to work primarily in public works, some of his time was supposed to be spent speaking for county commissioners. Hasson has balked at the idea.

Hutson welcomes any expanded role.

“This county needs to do a better job communicating with the public,” he said. “Spokane County is behind those other counties in terms of communicating with the public.”

Clark County (Vancouver) has five people handling communications and neighborhood outreach, even though it has 280,000 residents. Spokane County has about 440,000 citizens.

Department director Lianne Forney said she and her staff specialize in involving citizens in Clark County government.

“Some would argue we’re an extraneous program,” Forney said. “I would argue long and loud it’s as much a direct service to the public as anything else government does.”

Frank Abe, press secretary for King County Executive Gary Locke, was stunned to learn the Spokane County Commission did not have a media liaison.

“Government bodies in this age of public scrutiny really need someone with experience with the media, to help shape the messages so that one’s mother can understand them as opposed to other managers,” Abe said.

“It’s a lot harder than it sounds.”

Hutson is the former editor of the Spokane Valley News, which has a weekly circulation of about 2,500.

County Commissioner John Roskelley said he wants to review the county’s public relations needs but said he’s “impressed” with Hutson so far.

He noted that Hutson writes grant proposals and has landed a few for public works - something an outside firm would have difficulty doing because of the time and expense.

“If Chad is doing the job, there’s no threat to remove him,” Roskelley said.

Commission Chairman Phil Harris said the county can afford only one public relations person - whether it’s Hutson or an outside individual or firm.

“I don’t know if there’s a move afoot to terminate Chad,” Harris said. “At the very least, we’ve got to get Chad more involved with PR in this office.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Commissioners consider a new voice