Will commissioners raise taxes this week?
Public hearing this Tuesday for two 1% property tax increases
Tomorrow, during a public hearing, the County Commissioners will consider two 1% property tax hikes for both the road and general funds. Public comment is allowed virtually or in person.
Tuesday, November 26th, 10:30 am
Commissioners’ Boardroom
Clallam County Courthouse, 223 East 4th Street, Room 160,
Port Angeles
The meeting can be attended virtually by clicking here and following instructions at the top of the agenda.
Additionally, comments can be submitted to all three commissioners by emailing the Clerk of the Board at Loni.Gores@clallamcountywa.gov
The past year has seen uncontrolled spending by the commissioners on several projects:
Last month, a citizen pointed out that in February, the County had entered into a $370,000 contract that the commissioners were completely unaware of despite approving tens of thousands in monthly payments to the hired consultant.
Four million in County funds have been given to Peninsula Behavioral Health’s permanent supportive housing facility. The new construction will provide luxury homeless housing for approximately $350,000 per unit. The building, described as “not exclusively dry” (meaning substance abuse will be tolerated), will feature air conditioning, water and mountain views, a rooftop terrace, and a dog washing station.
Without knowing the cost of caring for each animal, the County entered into a $125,000 contract with the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society months before their executive director’s compensation was increased by 48%. The cost was later revealed to be a staggering $3,000 per animal.
In response to constituents’ questions about a ballot printing error that cost the County $159,000, Commissioner French explained that “sometimes small mistakes are made.”
Two months ago, CC Watchdog asked this of the commissioners and county leaders:
“In February 2023, Joe Donisi presented a plan to the commissioners that would complete the road (2 lanes with 4-foot shoulders) by relying entirely on grant dollars from the RCO and Floodplains by Design grants. There was a chance the County would have to reach into the Roads fund, but REET would remain untouched. At the same meeting, the commissioners decided not to send the project out to bid and the opportunity to pay for the project with non-county funds was missed. The $1 million "Floodplains" grant was spent down to $330k, and days before it expired, the County awarded it to JST (without a competitive bidding process) for additional engineered logjams.
Could you tell me how much Towne Road has cost the County since then? The $1.6 million RCO grant was still available, but Nordland's bid was $1.8 million. I know the consultant received an additional $500k recently, and I assume that was due to all the changes. The curb added at least $80k. How much (grants excluded) has the County spent on Towne Road since February 2023?”
It’s a basic question that requires an accounting of tax dollars spent. However, the commissioners have refused to answer it. DCD Director Bruce Emery, who managed the project and will oversee construction of the upcoming $40 million Dungeness River off-channel reservoir, replied:
“I have been attempting to collect the information you are requesting, but it has been difficult with my range of other obligations. I did spend some time yesterday and this morning on your questions. Unfortunately, my Financial Specialist is out today, and I am at a point that requires her assistance. I hope to get additional information next week and provide you with a response. My apologies for the delay.”
That was six weeks ago. Fortunately, public records are available when elected officials refuse to share how our money is spent.
“Total REET/Roads Expenditures $1,200,680.50.”
County Engineer Joe Donisi estimated that completing Towne Road would cost the county $1.4 million once the commissioners had passed up the grant funding, and this document suggests that his guess was remarkably close. The county spending was triggered by Commissioner Ozias exaggerating the number of petitions and signatures received asking that Towne Road remain closed (while omitting that more signatures had been received asking for it to remain open.)
When asked why he halted a $20 million, decades-long, multiagency project based on fictitious data, Commissioner Ozias replied: “I have not counted the exact number of names on a given petition or kept a log of "for" and "against" emails as it is not a popularity contest.”
No one suggested that reopening the road was a popularity contest. It was a project designed, engineered, funded by, and promised to the public. Deciding to keep Towne Road closed showed that the commissioners can leave projects unfinished while relying on false data. Their refusal to address the unnecessary spending of $1.2 million in taxpayer money while planning to raise taxes proves that the commissioners have embraced a culture of carefree spending.
For a County that has had to slash services and raise fees while facing over a $4 million deficit, that significant expense could have been easily avoided if the commissioners had listened to their engineer's and legal counsel's warnings. Yet, there has been no accountability, explanation, or reflection on what spending habits have landed the commissioners in this predicament — just a desire for more money.
The County Commissioners don’t have a budget problem. They have a spending problem.
Here’s another good saying from Milton Freedman.
“History shows that over a long period of time government will spend whatever the tax system raises plus as much more as it can get away with”.
This is where we are at and it won’t end until we all stand up and do something about it.
I grew up on the island of Maui in the town of Lahaina.
I watched this exact drama play out over the decades, of the working class families fighting tooth and nail to keep what was rightfully theirs against mega corporations and the billionaire predator class.
Fighting for water rights, a hospital, an updated power grid, the underfunded roads, the underfunded schools, the ancient sewage water treatment system.
Eventually the people lost because they put their trust in a system that never cared about them.
The entire town burned to the ground because the bureaucrats turned a blind eye to the real problems and sided instead with profit and the oligarchs.
The same thing is playing out here in Sequim and you will lose just like the good people of Lahaina did unless more people unite together and stop this horrific trajectory we are all on.
Wow, Jeff, it just keeps getting better and better! Thank you for your drive and diligence. It's a big machine we are faced with. Seems like a supernatural intervention would be helpful. I don't know for sure that's a 'thing' but maybe it's just the effect of awakening consciousness that shifts reality.
Blessings to all who are participating in the call for Truth, Justice, Liberty!