Other Headlines

Former ORV manager files wrongful termination suit
Former Straddleline ORV Park manager Tom Fite is seeking $365,000 from the county for wrongful termination. Last week he filed a claim stating the cause commissioners cited to end his employment May 5, 2008, was “not a valid cause under the terms of the contract.”

He was dismissed for accounting and management issues. Last year Fite unsuccessfully sought to explain his dismissal, claiming the termination procedure was flawed and he hadn’t been given a fair chance to respond to commissioners’ concerns.

Fite said he lost his annual salary of $50,844, benefits and retirement reserves and has suffered emotional trauma and stress because of an inability to find new work in Western Washington due to his dismissal.

Commissioners debate budget cuts
$3 million needs to be trimmed

MONTESANO — County commissioners spent all day Tuesday deciding how to slash $3 million from the 2010 budget if the unions don’t agree to significant concessions. Talks with the unions are scheduled Wednesday and Friday.

“This is a hypothetical, worst-case scenario only,” Commissioner Al Carter reiterated at the end of the 6-hour meeting. But the worst-case scenario is pretty bleak.

On the table are $542,189 in cuts and new revenue. But the rest must come by cutting department budgets. If the unions don’t concede the more than $1 million commissioners are asking for by giving up raises and benefits, it all must come from other spending cuts.
Commissioners earlier this fall asked each department to cut 10 percent across the board. Tuesday they parsed through each department’s budget determining how much those that didn’t make their 10 percent goal would have to give up.

The Sheriff’s Office stands to be the big loser; the cuts, should they be needed, would amount to 11 deputies and seven corrections officers.

The Prosecutor’s Office is facing the loss of a deputy prosecutor and two clerks.

District Court would have to cut three people; Juvenile Court is facing the loss of a part-time accounting assistant.

The Planning Department has already proposed the loss of an inspector to make its 10 percent reduction, along with a reduced workweek while Environmental Services is looking at losing one full-time position.

The Auditor’s Office would have to eliminate at least two people — the equivalent of 1.5 full-time positions — to make up its shortfall, even after plundering $115,000 from the election reserve fund and $45,000 from a veteran’s service fund and giving up $20,000 for updated election software.

The Civil Service Board would need to cut its half-time clerk, replacing the position by billing another department for work performed on an hourly basis.

The Clerk’s office faces two full-time reductions. All three commissioners also said a conversation with County Clerk Cheryl Brown needs to happen about hiring a collection agency to collect some of the $15 million in unpaid fees and fines owed to the county.

Several other departments also failed to meet their 10 percent reductions, but the amounts were for small amounts or — as was the case in the Assessor’s Office — were revenue-generating positions, commissioners said.

The county expects to have less than $22.3 million in general fund revenue next year; but current budget requests call for nearly $25.3 million in expenditures.

Reining in each department to a 10 percent cut meets the $22.3 million in anticipated revenue.

The $542,189 may be used to offset some of the department cuts or to keep the county from dipping even further into its reserve.

The county expects to spend $2.8 million of its $3.4 million reserve by the end of the year. However, Budget Director Rose Elway said she expects actual expenditures to come in about $250,000 less than budgeted, leaving the county with a little less than $1 million at year’s end.

East County ballots mailed this week
Discussions of candidates in the Montesano City Council, McCleary Mayor, Elma City Council, Mark Reed Hospital District and Montesano School District were featured this week.

Next week 's paper will discuss Elma School District, Fire District 2, Fire District 5, County Coroner, Oakville Mayor and McCleary City Council races.

MHS Queen and King
Seniors Ali Ohashi and Gabe West were elected as the queen and king of Montesano last Thursday, Oct. 15, as part of the Bulldogs’ Homecoming activites. Both were pictured at halftime of Monte’s 59-0 win over Tenino last Friday.

More Sports

Aberdeen soccer takes down Elma on road
ABERDEEN — A quick start enabled Aberdeen to relax and play add-on as they shut-out Elma 5-0 in a 2A Evergreen Conference girls soccer matchup Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Bishop Athletic Complex in Aberdeen. Winning many of the midfield scrums for the ball, the Bobcats put a quick stop to many of the Eagles’ attempts to advance the ball up field. As a result, much of the 80-minute contest was played on Elma’s side of the pitch.

Tigers rally back to knock off Eagle football, 37-35
CENTRALIA — With a field goal in the final seconds, Centralia was able to overcome Elma 37-35 in a 2A Evergreen Conference football matchup Friday, Oct. 8, at Centralia’s Tiger Stadium. Elma’s first score came on a Anthony Heller 25-yard touchdown run. Things quieted down for the Eagles until after halftime.

MHS ready to induct new class into Hall of Fame
MONTESANO — Bulldogs past and present will gather next weekend to celebrate a handful of alumni from Montesano High School at the school’s Hall of Fame banquet, Saturday, Oct. 24, in the high school common area. New inductees include Rose Papac, Jerry Esses, Todd Bridge, Kim (Cokeley) Farnsworth, Willis Rambo, and the 1944 Football team.