Everett, Wash.
Published: Saturday, March 8, 2008

Budget plan in limbo as Reardon and Snohomish County Council tussle

A proposal to save money by switching to a two-year budget was approved by voters in 2006.

By Jeff Switzer, Herald Writer

 A proposal to save Snohomish County hundreds of thousands of dollars in staff time is stalled in the middle of the latest power scuffle between the County Council and County Executive Aaron Reardon.

The money would be saved by planning county budgets every two years instead of annually.

It's an option that voters approved in 2006 as part of a package of changes to the county's charter, which controls how county government operates.

The County Council, however, is scrutinizing the proposed change.

Some county councilmen say baggage over how Reardon's office communicates with the council over annual budgets makes them reluctant to hand him the keys to two-year budgets.

County Council chairman Dave Somers and councilman Dave Gossett, both Democrats, and Republican councilman John Koster said details have been sparse in past budgets.

Somers said he has tried to keep an open mind on a switch to two-year budgets.

"There are some potential benefits, but there are also some improvements that need to be made with the annual budget we've been under," Somers said. "It's not a very satisfying process. I share Councilman Gossett's concerns. Changing the system needs to be done very thoughtfully and carefully, if at all."

Democrats have a 4-1 majority on the council. Reardon also is a Democrat.

Gossett said he has serious reservations because Reardon's office was slow in getting budget details to the council in past years.

"I believe that before we take a step that I think will really limit our ability to do oversight, we need to have a demonstration through at least one budget cycle that we're going to be getting the information we need, in the format we need and a format our staff can easily use," Gossett said.

Reardon is required to propose an annual budget, which the council considers, tweaks and approves.

Reardon has vetoed parts of the budget in the past two years, and the council has voted to override him.

A business plan for operating the Indian Ridge correctional facility near Arlington was late in coming in 2007, Gossett said. Also, he said there were delays in receiving capital budget information, forcing him to use a hand calculator and handwritten changes instead of electronic files.

On the executive's side, "the budget process is the most open budget process ever used in Snohomish County," Reardon said. The process loops in hundreds of employees for advice, he said.

"Mr. Gossett and I have differences on policy, growth and the budget," Reardon said. The council's budget changes last fall came the day before a final vote without public hearings or executive staff input.

Councilman Mike Cooper is leading the charge for approving a switch to two-year budgets. He is the former chairman of the charter commission that asked voters for permission to make the move.

"I don't think the voters were saying we ought to think about it," Cooper said. "They were saying we ought to do it."

He said working on communications with Reardon's office should be handled separately.

Koster said Cooper was dismissing the council's concerns over communication with Reardon's office.

"Mr. Cooper, you haven't been here for the last five years," Koster said. "This issue of communication is no small issue. I think it's inappropriate to blow it off."

In May 2007, the council cited a profound lack of trust when it unanimously and permanently limited Reardon's contract powers to $5,000 or less. The tiff started amid worries the county was bankrolling a 787 Dreamliner rollout party, but later became a debate about how open communications were with Reardon's office and departments.

Two council members have since left because of term limits. Cooper and Brian Sullivan joined the council in January.

With weekly meetings with the council leadership on a variety of issues, Reardon said "there's been no communications gaps with this council and this office. Somers has done a very good job as chair."

Two-year budgets will allow the county to better plan spending, Reardon said.

"I think it's an important policy shift for a growing county," Reardon said. "The council should take the time they need to understand it and make a decision they're comfortable with."

The council has about 90 days to review annual budgets, and would have 100 days to review a biennial budget. Adding 10 days isn't adequate time to review thousands of pages of spending proposals with only five council analysts, Gossett said.

Weekly talks with Reardon's staff are under way to improve communications over budget issues, said Sullivan, chairman of the council's finance committee.

The council plans to discuss the issue again March 26. Until then, county staff were told to begin drafting a two-year budget with an option of switching later.

Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA