🗞️ Klickitat County BOCC Summary – July 15, 2025

Klickitat County Commissioners spent much of their July 15 meeting grappling with budget shortfalls, staffing needs at the sheriff’s office, and community calls for improved public safety and transparency. Here's a deeper look at what happened:

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💰 Public Hearing: Supplemental Budget Sparks Debate

A public hearing on a $3.9 million supplemental budget revealed financial tensions across multiple departments. Most of the proposed funding—covering everything from insurance reimbursements to jail equipment—was already backed by dedicated funds or grant sources. But five requests required dipping into the general fund and drew extended board discussion:

• Sheriff’s Office: $382,000 requested, largely for salaries and benefits to cover 14 deputies, 3 sergeants, and 3 support staff. Sheriff Songer warned that low staffing levels—sometimes just two deputies on duty across the entire county—create severe officer safety risks. He emphasized this puts both deputies and the public at risk, especially during high-stakes calls like domestic violence or vehicle pursuits.
• Public testimony overwhelmingly supported the sheriff’s funding request, with one speaker calling Songer a “constitutional sheriff” and urging commissioners to prioritize the safety of those “who protect our peace and liberty.”
• The sheriff’s funding shortfall was partly traced back to a budgeting error that inadvertently defunded two deputy positions when the jail transitioned out of the sheriff’s oversight. While a $400,000 increase had been budgeted overall, commissioners acknowledged the mistake had masked cuts to specific line items and promised to correct it.
• Commissioners discussed whether to fund the full request or only what would have been required if the two positions had been budgeted from the start of the year. The board indicated support for restoring $246,000—the amount that would have been allocated in January—to ensure staffing levels are maintained through year’s end.

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⚖️ Legal Mandates & Administrative Requests

The other general fund draws were for:

• HR recruitment tools to assist with hard-to-fill positions
• Public defense services, now under tighter scrutiny following a recent Washington State Supreme Court ruling on access to counsel
• The Auditor’s Office, which reported shortfalls related to past medical insurance expenses for employees no longer working for the county

Commissioners emphasized that the county does not have a practice of paying benefits for former employees, and that payroll and HR teams are now coordinating more closely to prevent similar issues. While it may be difficult to recover some of the past overpayments, avenues are being explored.

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🚌 Contract Pulled: Behavioral Health Transportation

One consent agenda item—a contract for transportation services related to behavioral health—was pulled for further review. Commissioners noted that they lacked sufficient information about the timing and contract terms, and voted to defer approval. The contract is expected to return at a future meeting.

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🙋 Volunteers Needed Across the County

Commissioners raised alarms about declining volunteer participation in critical county functions. They noted several examples, including:

• Local fire departments that rely heavily on community volunteers
• A shortage of representatives on the Senior Advisory Committee, which currently lacks two members from the Central District
• Groups like the Water Conservancy Board and Planning Commission, where volunteers help guide resource use, land decisions, and community development

Commissioners encouraged residents to "be part of the solution" and consider applying for open seats or joining local initiatives.

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🧾 Other Actions

• The board approved accounts payable warrants totaling over $203,000 for the period ending June 9, 2025.
• A motion was passed to remove Item G from the consent agenda (the behavioral health transportation contract) for further discussion.
• Commissioners noted upcoming meetings on boundary line adjustments, particularly in the Horsburg area, and reviewed previous actions to ensure compliance with process.

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🗓️ Next BOCC Meeting
Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Klickitat County Services Building, 115 W Court St, Room 201, Goldendale, WA
💻 Join via Zoom
📞 Dial-in: 1 (669) 900-6833 – Meeting ID: 586 587 651
📬 Submit written public comments to bocc@klickitatcounty.org