HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance October 28 1993WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
FINANCE AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
BUDGET HEARINGS
October 28, 1993
The meeting was called to order at 9:15 a.m. by Committee Chair, Ken
Henderson.
Also Present:
Robert Imhof
Absent:
Dennis Vander Yacht
Other Council Members present were: Marge Laidlaw, Larry Harris, and Barbara
Brenner.
AUDITOR
Shirley Forslof, Auditor, and Ron Riggs, Chief Accountant, were present.
Forslof gave an overview of the request. She spoke of the original submission and
mentioned the customer service required of her office, time of turnaround, her request
for restoration of the .5 FTE position in licensing, and her desire to hire a professional
for the internal audit process.
Comments made on the following issues: Level of costs; classification name of
employees; appropriate job descriptions; voter registration and signature verification
equipment on lease purchase; vote by mail; automatic precincting; part -time employees;
commitment of purchase; cost savings of equipment; federal guidelines; internal auditor
hiring in third quarter; rise in building maintenance fees; costs in courthouse with rates
per square footage remaining the same; extra custodial needs and technical needs for
electronic equipment; state mandate regarding historical documents with goal for an
optical disc system with retrieval, printing and automatic billing; courts are currently
using Auditor's Operation and Maintenance for backlog of filming; possible cost of
$200,000 for the optical system desired; fees allow purchase of required cabinets; backlog
of indexing should be caught up by the end of the year barring illness; need for an
additional workstation to do indexing more efficiently; request for update of definite
cost of required equipment; possibility of the need for extra money in elections
depending on the number of elections or if the Charter Review Commission is set up.
Speakers: Henderson, Laidlaw; Riggs; Tom Sutberry, Deputy Administrator; Bob
Woods, Budget and Program Analyst; Shirley Van Zanten, County Executive; Forslof.
ASSESSOR
Budget Hearings, October 28, 1993, Page 1
ASSESSOR
Keith Willnauer, Assessor, gave an overview of the request. He stated he is
requesting an additional two F FE so that the revaluation of properties can be done on
less than a four year cycle with a six year inspection.
Comments were made on the following issues: Comparison of Whatcom County
and other county costs; Thurston County costs and staffing compared showing 37
appraisers in Thurston as opposed to 27 in Whatcom County and Thurston does a yearly
revaluation (actual dollars generated don't always show the efficiency of the system, but
Thurston does collect $1.4 million); software and consulting costs; computer costs; Board
of Equalization (BOE) petitions would increase dramatically if Option B is implemented;
projected revenues ($11.97 million); additional $620,000 has been realized from changes
made this year; numbers of permits for new construction; percentage of properties
revalued each year is 25 %; 23,000 properties scheduled to be revalued in 1994; loss of
fairness and equity when work is too rushed; county is taxing at the highest level allowed
but there is inequity in the system; succeeding revaluations will not show the vast
changes of recent revaluations; likelihood of tax drops; state did provide some money for
new construction revaluation (two FTE for a three month period of approximately
$50,000); possibility of County Council requesting more assistance from the state; Skagit
had 2000 BOE petitions and Whatcom County had close to 600 petitions with more
parcels (Skagit is on a one year cycle); multiple mailings of tax notices causes a problem;
BOE could become a year round function; time -frame of implementing a one year cycle
would be January 1, 1995; possibility of an application fee for BOE petitions; corrective
evaluation (appraisers can bring corrective measures to the BOE without a hearing);
progress of new appraisers that came on in August 1993 as trainees; contracted
appraisals; Professional Services for computer modification and timber (Newman);
moving expenses will include a few new chairs but the Assessor's office is taking all old
furniture.
Speakers: Henderson; Willnauer; Laidlaw; Harris; Brenner; Woods; Sutberry;
Imhof.
11:05 a.m.
TREASURER
Barbara Cory, Treasurer, gave an overview of her request. Cory stated that the
State has required that her office is required to put BOE petition information on the tax
statements and pamphlets also must be available. This will probably increase the
number of petitions. As President of the Treasurer's Association, she has been alerted
that legislation has been proposed requiring daily deposits and daily investment of tax
earning whereas the county has invested monthly previously and gleaned the interest in
the interim. The junior taxing districts would be deserving of all interest income but this
Budget Hearings, October 28, 1993, Page 2
would actually cost the junior taxing districts more than they would receive when they
paid the servicing charge. Cory said she was asked to cut $40,000; this would decrease
the staff by one and eliminate overtime. She has fewer employees now than years ago.
Cory said she has solved her problems by other means than by adding staff but must
have 17 people to do the work required. By reducing the staff there would be a reduced
response time. In one day in April, her office deposits $14 M because of having all her
staff work a complete Saturday; the interest on this would be lost. If a position is cut,
that work would have to absorbed by the rest of the staff; they are already burdened to
the maximum. The office utilizes part time help at tax time. Cory noted that the office
is reaching its projected goals except for a program to computerize the debt service.
Cory noted that by using the Investment Pool, the investment earnings have increased by
sharing the cost of the investments with other departments. Cory said she did not include
auditing functions in this year's budget but does think that it would be a good idea. Cory
noted that she does not have trained staff to do this. Cory recommended the county
only use a set amount of investment earning in its projections so that the current
situation does not reoccur.
Speakers: Henderson; Imhof; Woods; Laidlaw; Brenner.
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (EXCEPT SOLID WASTE)
Nate Brown, Director, Planning & Development Services; and Dan Taylor,
Director, Planning.
Brown gave an overview of the request showing how the department is dealing
with the cuts of over $200,000. He said there had been an elimination of an
administrative position in Planning. The department has conservatively raised fees but
the revenues are difficult to project. Brown said the amount projected is higher than the
amount asked of him in the budget preparation.
Comments were made on the following: Increased fees based on time spent and
full cost; question of manager status of water resource manager; departmental structure
including land use, building permits, environmental services, and planning; decrease of
activity in permitting; 83% of revenue projection because the department is reducing the
backlog; next year's projection is based in increased fees and slightly reduced numbers;
the number of illegal building done without permitting; increased enforcement activity
would require more personnel; targeted goals of four weeks for residential and
commercial; tracking of complaints received and other issues will be done when the
records person is hired; measurable number requested for cross training; no reclasses in
Planning but titles were changed other than automatic change from Planner I to Planner
11; handling of staff and reclassification are directed by the personnel ordinance, unions,
grievance procedures, and are an administrative matter and not up to the Council;
personnel issues are dictated by state laws and council sets the dollar amount and
number of positions with implementation handled by the administration; respectful
Budget Hearings, October 28, 1993, Page 3
disagreement with the Executive over this issue; reorganization and reassignment of
duties does change the title of persons doing the job; communication and feedback
required; quantify the workload of different people such as the Water Resource Manager
with a view to leveling it out over the year; discussion of 93 goals with the county wide
planning policies being completed, capital facilities put on hold; forestry areas has been
completed, interlocal agreements will proceed with the Urban Growth Boundaries Areas,
transportation plan in Spring of 1994, housing element was delayed, open space corridors
June 1994 or beyond; urban fringe subarea early in 1994, (Council action is a factor in
some delays such as the watershed issues), Comprehensive Plan will be delivered in 1994
unless budget is cut, and the Lake Whatcom Storm Drainage Management Plan will be
finished in 1994 -95; compliment given to Planning for flexibility; both Brown and Taylor
were complimented by Brenner; regulatory reform is a big issue in 1994 which will
reduce the SEPA process and this means a great job will have to be done on
Environmental Impact Statements; fee increases have allowed the department to keep
the Growth Management program intact.
Harris.
Speakers: Brenner; Brown; Henderson; Woods; Laidlaw; Taylor; Van Zanten;
The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
ATTEST:
,12
Barbara Maher, Deputy -Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Kenneth Henderson, Council Member
Budget Hearings, October 28, 1993, Page 4