EVERETT — At least 15 Snohomish County employees recently received notices that their jobs could be eliminated, as managers weigh how to cope with budget cuts.
The disappearing jobs could include eight spots at the superior and juvenile courts; four probation officers and two clerks at the district courts; and one animal-control position in the Auditor’s Office.
Waiting to consider layoffs until later in the year might have forced the county to cut more.
“The quicker we act, the fewer positions we are going to have to eliminate,” Presiding District Court Judge Jeffrey Goodwin said. “It is a gut-wrenching decision to have to tell people that they’re being laid off.”
The Snohomish County Council is likely to shore up its $202.7 million general-fund budget at 10:30 a.m. today. At a public hearing, councilmen will consider slashing spending by more than $6.5 million. The move is intended to adjust for a $3.6 revenue shortfall and add $2.9 million to the cash reserves the county needs to cover expenses, including payroll. Low reserves increase borrowing costs and financial risks for the county.
One of the steps the council is likely to take is asking all the departments to cut nearly 2.6 percent more from their budgets. For most, that means letting people go.
District Court, which has four branch offices around the county, handles traffic infractions, misdemeanor crimes, small claims and domestic violence protection orders, among other duties. To save money, district courts have already stopped answering phones in person.
With the current cut, they’re looking to trim $700,000 from an $8.6 million budget, Goodwin said. That should compensate for the cut expected today, plus reductions they had to make earlier in the year.
The loss of four probation officers will leave only one at each regional court branch, Goodwin said. That’s fewer than half of the probation officers they had just a few months ago. The other two positions are clerks.
Losing the officers will hurt the courts’ ability to steer defendants toward alcohol, mental-health and domestic-violence counseling, Goodwin said. The alternative was cutting clerks who have to fulfill jobs that are mandated by law and have already had workloads double during the past dozen years. Managers also want to avoid closing any court branches.
“We’re hoping not to have to do that because each of those divisions provides a valuable service to the local communities, especially with domestic violence and anti-harassment,” the judge said.
In superior and Juvenile Court, eight employees have received notices, Superior Court Administrator Bob Terwilliger said. The cuts would help shave about $560,000 from a $21.5 million budget.
The notices went in the mail April 5 and give the employees 20 working days to exercise union rights, such as bumping employees with less seniority from another position. Ongoing discussions could change the number of positions at stake.
“It’s premature to be talking about ultimate impacts right now,” Terwilliger said.
Like the district courts, superior and juvenile court administrators are legally obligated to pay for expenses over which they have little control. They include jurors, court-appointed guardians and expert witnesses.
The caseload has stayed roughly the same now compared to 2008, while the number of employees has shrunk to about 180 from 202. Positions funded by grants also have decreased by 10.
The Auditor’s Office also is eliminating one of eight animal-control positions, Auditor Carolyn Weikel said.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
