9/25/08

Council tosses executive's budget,

proposes reorganization of jails

The Snohomish County Council has opted to discard the two-year budget prepared by Executive Aaron Reardon and start from scratch on a new financial plan for the county.

County Council chair Dave Somers said Reardon’s budget “does too little, too late.” He added, “We have a responsibility to do more to address the needs of our most vulnerable populations, ease traffic congestion and ensure the public’s safety.”

Members of the council and other elected officials had complained that Reardon’s budget preparation process didn’t allow them adequate opportunities for input and review.

In a related issue, councilman Mike Cooper has proposed moving the county’s corrections department, which currently reports to the executive branch, under Sheriff John Lovick’s management.

“In these challenging budget times when tough reorganizational decisions need to be made, no one streamlining measure is more appropriate than moving corrections management from the executive to the sheriff,” said Cooper.

Lovick is also in favor of the switch, noting that most county jails in the state are under the direction of their sheriffs.

The council’s budget committee will meet Wednesdays at 11 a.m., beginning October 1, on the 8th floor of the Drewel Building on the county campus.

Somers promised that the council “is fully committed to an open, public and transparent process” in creating the budget. Several public forums have already been held, and citizen comments are welcome by e-mail (contact.council@snoco.org), online testimony (www.snoco.org, search for Budget Testimony) or by letter (3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609, Everett, WA 98201).

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