Small Town News

Commissioner says county keeping to budget

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Despite a slowdown in the county's biggest money maker, Klickitat County is still the only county in the state operating in the black, says County Commissioner Rex Johnston.

"To my knowledge, we're the only county not only operating in the black but also with reserves," Johnston commented at a Greater Goldendale Chamber of Commerce business luncheon forum at the Glass Onion last Thursday. "Our biggest challenge is living within our means."

Johnston said the county's biggest revenue generator is the county landfill, but even that has been down about $300,000 in the first quarter of this year. "It's been affected by the economy," Johnston said. "It may come back up during the rest of the year. Or it may not."

While the landfill has been proactive in securing commitments from areas beyond the state, a highly publicized commitment from Hawaii has not yet produced Hawaiian garbage at the landfill. "I don't know when it will actually start shipping," Johnston said. The problem apparently has to do with ensuring adequate safeguards for the refuse while it is in transit.

The county is firm about staying within its budget, Johnston emphasized. "A budget is a budget," he said, "whether it's yours, mine, the state's, or the federal budget. You make so much money, you can afford to spend so much money If you spend more, you go into debt, and then you have to figure out a way to pay it back. We're not going to do that. We're going to stay within our budget."

Johnston said the county has been able to avoid laying off employees except those who are grant funded and whose grants are ending. The county has about 150 employees, some 50 in public works, about 50 in the sheriff's office, and about another 50 in other offices. Questions were raised about other possible revenue enhancements for the county, including speculation on the future of Insitu, now based principally in Bingen. "Insitu may become larger," Johnston speculated, "if it becomes a line item with the government. It could double in size." If it were to do so, the company would likely move to a permanent new campus, which the county hopes will remain within the county

There were questions about the economic impact of the sprawling wind farms throughout the county. "There's a common perception out there that the wind farms mean that the county has won the lottery," said one questioner at the meeting.

"That's the perception," said Johnston, "but it's not accurate. The wind farms will never generate as much revenue as we see from the landfill." While property taxes on wind farms produce significant revenues and are hugely beneficial to the land owners on whose property they're located, they don't equate to a vast windfall fortune for the county.

Johnston reported that $3 million has been raised toward the completion of a new emergency services radio system for the county leaving another $4 million to be acquired. "We may have to do a levy to raise the remaining sum," he said, emphasizing the need for the radio system for safety and effective emergency services communications.

"A budget is a budget... You make so much money, you can afford to spend so much money." Rex Johnston County Commissioner



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© 2011 The Goldendale Sentinel Goldendale, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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