Forecasting virtually flat revenues has paid off for Clark County, which for the first time in two years has seen its financial position improve, the county budget director said Tuesday.
“The good news is that we are not crashing like we were in 2008 and 2009,” said Jim Dickman.
Dickman presented county commissioners with a supplemental budget proposal that includes restoring some earlier cuts.
A public hearing on the supplemental budget will be at 10 a.m. April 27 at the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St.
Dickman said he’s not proposing major changes to the budget but said the county has enough “breathing room” to restore a few cuts that proved too deep.
Proposed moves include putting $506,000 back into indigent defense services; the county is constitutionally mandated to provide attorneys for indigent adults charged with felony crimes and all juveniles charged with crimes.
In 2009, for example, the county paid for attorneys in 2,972 adult cases and 2,245 juvenile cases.
Other musts include $150,000 for postage (an expense the county has reduced by $250,000 since January 2009) and $75,000 to pay the state auditor’s office for the annual audit.
Deputy County Administrator Glenn Olson said between January 2009 and February 2010, total revenue was more than $1 million higher than forecasted.
Clark County has cut its general fund budget three times for a total of 22 percent, or $62 million, since its peak in the 2007-2008 budget. The cuts eliminated 270 positions (about half of which were filled), or about 15 percent of the county work force. Work hours and pay have been reduced for nearly 200 employees.
Stephanie Rice: 360-735-4508 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.
