Sheriff’s office seeks budget supplement to correct omission

Published 4:36 pm Monday, May 13, 2024

SOUTH BEND — The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office and the Pacific County General Administration met on May 13 for a staffing workshop. The agency is expected to make a formal request to convert a part-time position into a full-time spot.

The sheriff’s office recently lost an evidence clerk who was let go, leaving the position vacant. The agency’s current budget only allows for the position to be filled on a part-time basis.

The sheriff’s office has two civil clerks and two clerk secretaries who work beneath Chief Civil Deputy Hollie Billeci. The responsibilities vary, including processing concealed pistol licenses, public records, and sheriff’s office clerical duties.

Budget accident

According to Billeci, the fifth position was never meant to be a part-time gig and was accidentally and unintentionally mis-requested during budget negotiations. The officer did have a chance to rebut the budgeting allotment but missed the error.

“I didn’t catch it, no one caught it, and it got pushed back to you guys, and now it’s a .5 [full-time employee],” Billeci said. “Last year, we hired, we had a whole-time position almost the entire year in that position even though it was a .5.”

“We didn’t go over our budget last year because we ended up funding that position out of our … other money even though we were only appropriated for the .5 [full-time employee]. Again, this year if that person had not departed, we wouldn’t be laying her off. We would be doing a budget supplement to get this,” Billeci added.

Pull Quote

‘… we have a lot of stuff on hold right now because that evidence person. We have gotta to get them in and gotta get them trained up and some of the things they should be doing right now — getting rid of stuff, getting rid of vehicles, is all on hold right now.’

Michael A. Ray, Pacific County undersheriff

Pacific County Chief Administrative Officer Paul Plakinger served as a civil clerk in the sheriff’s office for several years before moving to the general administration. He performed most of the responsibility himself for the north county while Billeci covered the south county office.

“I was the only civil clerk that processed gun permits, all paper service throughout the county, protection orders,” Plakinger said. “That is currently split between two civil clerks. I also did all the public records for the sheriff’s office at the time, and the county did not have centralized public records, which we currently have in the department of general administration.”

Much more work

According to Sheriff Daniel Garcia, his agency is handling much more work nowadays than it did when Plakinger worked there.

“While yes I agree, sheriff, there is more work, you do have more capacity as far as your higher level of civil clerks than were present in my time at the sheriff’s office,” Plakinger said.

The options for Garcia and Billeci are submitting a formal request in writing to Plakinger seeking a budget supplement or, per Plakinger’s advice, opt not to fill the remaining deputy position for wiggle room to fund the clerk position.

“The problem is, see, that we have a lot of stuff on hold right now because that evidence person,” Undersheriff Mike Ray said. “We have gotta get them in and gotta get them trained up and some of the things they should be doing right now — getting rid of stuff, getting rid of vehicles, is all on hold right now.”

“It’s really — it’s not a good situation,” Ray added.

If a budget supplement is filed, Plakinger will first speak with Commissioners Lisa Olsen, Jerry Doyle, and David Tobin independently to gather their opinions. If it is decided to move forward, the office will put out a public hearing notice and take up the topic in approximately two weeks.

Olsen and Tobin were present for the workshop but did not indicate if they leaned any particular way on the issue. Olsen did note that she is concerned about the county’s budget outlook for next year and beyond.

Tightening budget

Pacific County’s budget is tight and expected to only get worse. Beginning in 2025, recent legislation out of Olympia requires the county to fund an independent coroner’s office, which has historically fallen on the county prosecutor.

Making matters even worse, Legacy Forest Defense Coalition’s lawsuit in Pacific County Superior Court against the Washington State Department of Natural Resources could cost the county at least $800,000 in timber sales.

The lawsuit seeks to stop the clearcutting of 135 acres of old-growth forest outside Grays River, following legislation that mandates that 10-15% of forestland in each DNR unit be restored to natural old-growth forest.