Cowlitz County commissioners approve 2023 budget, utility rate increases

LONGVIEW — The Cowlitz County commissioners last week approved a “stable” 2023 budget following record inflation nationwide earlier this year.

The proposed 2023 general fund expenditures are about $69.9 million, up from about $67 million budgeted last year. The budget accounts for less sales tax revenue than this year, but includes “additional funding mechanisms” the county tapped into — like state grants — to help offset expenditures, said Traci Jackson, county finance director.

“I can say with confidence I truly believe we are in a state where I can present a healthy budget to the board and feel good about that,” Jackson said during the Dec. 6 meeting. “The adjustments we bring forward in the next incoming year will be changes and ebbs and flows in things that we don’t know about today.”

Unlike prior years, the budget includes a reduction in staff positions, as 12 temporary positions added to help with the court backlog are set to end in June 2023. Several other positions are vacant but remain on the books, Jackson said.

In other business, the commissioners approved the Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program, which includes 99 projects for an estimated $106.7 million. The document is constantly being updated based on need and funding, said Susan Eugenis, county engineer.

Cowlitz County Top 2023 salaries

1. Superior Court Judges: $203,169—

2. District Court Judges: $193,447—

3. Ryan Jurvakainen, Prosecuting Attorney: $182,832

4. Douglas Jensen, Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney: $148,920

5. Thomas Ladouceur, Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney: $148,920

6. Mike Moss, Public Services Director: $145,847

7. Ian Maher, Office of Public Defense Director: $135,214

8. Susan Eugenis, County Engineer: $135,192

9. Marin Fox, Corrections Executive Director: $128,664

10. David Handy, Undersheriff: $126,244

11. Brad Thurman, Sheriff: $125,741

—Marilyn Haan, Michael Evans, Gary Bashor, Patricia Fassett and Thad Scudder

— Kevin Blondin, Jamie Imboden and John Hayes

Superior and District Court Judges salaries are set by the Washington Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. The state of Washington pays 50 percent of the Superior Court Judge salaries.

Projects set for 2023 include: finishing replacing the Pacific Avenue North half-bridge, replacing the box culverts on Ostrander Road, reconstructing South Cloverdale Road and the intersection with Confer Road and repairing several areas damaged by flooding in January and February 2022. Safety improvements are also planned, such as adding curve warning signs, guardrail and roadside delineators.

Public Works has budgeted $345,000 for right of way acquisition, $2.5 million for preliminary engineering, and $7.6 million for construction in 2023, according to the plan. About $4.7 million of that is federal funding, $2.6 million is state funding and $3.2 million is local money, Eugenis said.

The commissioners also approved the county’s facilities maintenance program, which includes $6.1 million in mostly roof and HVAC projects in 2023. The “ambitious” plan, which also outlines parking lot repairs and other improvement projects, may change as needed, Jackson said.

Commissioners Arne Mortensen and Dennis Weber directed staff to move slowly on a $300,000 project to renovate the Sheriff’s Office in the Hall of Justice because of tentative plans to move the department out of the aging building.

In other business the commissioners approved a 3 percent utility rate increase for the approximately 3,000 households that use county water and/or sewer services. The county did not increase utility rates last year, but implemented a similar 3 percent increase for 2021. The county operates five water and five sewer systems.

In 2023, the water base rate will increase to $42.97, with a consumption rate of $8.57 per unit. The sewer base rate will increase to $100.99. Compared the other municipalities, the county has the second highest water and sewer rates.

Utilities Manager Patrick Harbison said the staff were able to recommend a modest increase for 2023 because the commissioners allocated federal COVID relief money to help pay for capital projects. The planned upgrades total more than $16 million, with about $6.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding.