Requests for allocations from the recently approved public safety sales tax have been received by the Grays Harbor County Commissioners.

At more than $2.9 million, the requested allocations greatly exceed expected revenue from the tax which was approved by voters during the August primary election. The county expects to receive about $1.4 million from the tax in 2017.

The commissioners are planning to spend less than the estimated revenue in the first year.

“I wouldn’t want to allocate more than $1 million to $1.2 million,” Commissioner and Chairwoman Vickie Raines said.

Of the requests, $710,000 for the corrections department has been selected by the public safety sales tax committee as the highest priority. The committee was comprised of Raines, Superior Court Judge Edwards, County Prosecutor Katie Svoboda and Sheriff Rick Scott.

Of the corrections requests is $467,050 for five new corrections deputies, $217,950 for three jail control support specialists, and $25,000 for a radio repeater.

During a meeting on Nov. 17, Undersheriff David Pimentel said all three line items in the request are necessary.

“We’re scheduling overtime on a daily basis because we’re lacking manpower,” Pimentel said. “We’re having to have the supervisors supervise the jail instead of jail control, and they’re way overpaying for that.”

The Sheriff’s office is requesting a total of $463,610, which includes $390,960 for three additional patrol deputies and the equipment they’d need, as well as a full-time receptionist.

The prosecutor’s office is requesting $235,921 including $77,347 to fund a deputy prosecutor position, more than $20,000 for equipment (computer scanners) and furniture, $48,300 for a data management specialist, and $27,435 to fund six months of a legal secretary. Also requested is $62,231 in salary adjustments for the deputy prosecuting attorneys and the chief deputy administrator.

Raines requested allocations totalling more than $660,000, including $390,960 for three resident deputies, $100,000 to be earmarked for capital facilities maintenance, $50,00 for future software replacement for the public safety departments, and $120,000 for county EMS training and equipment.

The county will not receive the funds all at once in 2017. The first distribution of the tax revenue is expected in March.

In some cases, the requested allocations would not be filled all at once — the five corrections deputies positions would be filled throughout the year.

The commissioners planned to continue the discussion, along with department heads, at a budget meeting at 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21. Due to holiday press deadlines, The Vidette had gone to press before that discussion.

Road levy

Also during the meeting on Nov. 17, Commissioner Wes Cormier again proposed lowering the county’s take of the road levy, now noting it should be lowered by 13 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. Cormier’s hope is the county’s junior taxing districts — specifically the fire districts — then can collect additional tax revenue.

“In 2013 there was a $750,000 road levy shift that affects the road department, and in 2014 there was a $500,000 road levy shift,” Cormier said. “A 13-cent reduction would equate to about 335,000.”

A road levy only can collect so much before it caps countywide. The county can first take funds from the road levy, then the junior taxing districts (fire districts, hospital districts and libraries) can take portions of what remains.

Commissioner Frank Gordon said his biggest concern was ensuring the road fund maintained enough in the budget to cover costs.

“They have to have the cash up front (for two bridge projects) and they’re reimbursed, and I want to make sure we don’t make the road department short. If we do, we won’t be able to do business and we’ll lose the grant,” Gordon explained.

Also present at the meeting was Grays Harbor Fire District 5 Chief Dan Prater whose fire district would benefit by about $71,000 if the county reduced its road levy.

Prater noted that the fire district has worked hard to rebound from near-bankruptcy in the past, and while the district has essentially rebounded, it still could use additional revenue.

“I call you guys the top dogs — you get yours and you get to decide, but when you make that, you take everything — anything you don’t take or you can live without we’d appreciate it because we’re down here at the very bottom and we could just use some help,” Prater said.

The commissioners would address the issue when they adopt a road levy at a future meeting.

The commissioner took no action at the meeting.