[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6163327,"mediaKeyId","5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525","parentId",5435835,"title","County leaders flag procurement capacity, shared contracts and project accountability as targets for savings","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",4690170,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525&start=4690&end=4690","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525/thumbnail_4690170.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6163327/Spokane-County/Washington/County-leaders-flag-procurement-capacity-shared-contracts-and-project-accountability-as-targets-for-savings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6163327-8c56c814dab4e279ffb659d1c10c39d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150963&Signature=Qn~LgsMpseMKMquE9zTapL3ybCwJDgAFxGg-4mm-HctUXhYZ2a63h3oXuIfqn9j7vqAgNUINjcF681h71xhb-z2LQt2a-1AMSxCAl65GEGp6cgxTj4V4CmapaBfz4v0TgfzOYo1sRvcjPEOcsVtrhOrYwSiV9f20p94XxjvtVn1aPI50gXMWXf9fijb-I22DXLc99X-fNUlVUmXEZnWSyZeO3A8DzSjPLL3Stx8S4uLKoar2yBxxiYX2wFwT4m5ZbLSZTdG4KD142~OJ8QPTqpg2AkjeATC2ftxigkgqQjIo2txKseJynaNQGeCOzsecf0ygVJdjSXKdaGsa7790Zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane County, WA","date","2025-07-21T19:59:55Z","article","Spokane County commissioners and staff used a July 21 strategic planning meeting to highlight procurement and contract management as underused areas for savings and operational improvement.

Why it matters: shared contracts, overlapping vendor agreements and inconsistent project ownership increase recurring costs across departments. Staff said some contracts have been discussed for years but lacked a responsible lead and sufficient resources to complete consolidation work.

What was said and why it matters: one county staff member described the problem as organizational: \"If you want improvement, you gotta put their resource into the project to create the improvement, and you've gotta make the commitment and not stop a third of the way in or 70% of the way in,\" they said. Speakers mentioned the Zoom contract as an example of a procurement matter discussed over multiple budget cycles and noted that the county lacks procurement capacity to complete some consolidation projects without dedicated staffing.

Specific points raised:
- Shared services and consolidated contracts can reduce duplicate pickups, vehicle routing and vendor fees; the county cited a vehicle-service consolidation that saved roughly $25,000 by replacing multiple daily pickups with one vendor arrangement.
- Procurement and contract projects require an assigned owner and sustained resources. Several speakers said projects stall when responsibility is not assigned or when staffing is insufficient to execute long-term procurement initiatives.
- Streamlining travel and per diem processing (using GSA first/last-day rules and simplified processes) also surfaced as a way to cut administrative cost and time.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to identify high-value, feasible procurement consolidations and to assign project leads so contract consolidation delivers measurable savings before the budget is adopted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025.07.21 Strategic Meeting Continued","oneSentenceSummary","County staff and commissioners discussed long-standing procurement shortcomings, shared contracts (including Zoom) and the need to assign project accountability to capture savings; officials said improvements require dedicated resources and follow-through.","taxTitle","Spokane County, Washington","taxId",2643,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6163331,"IT leaders point to Workday, software cuts and device policy as areas to trim county expenses",2352,2145525,4498100,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525&start=2145&end=4498","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525/thumbnail_2145525.jpg","/articles/6163331/Spokane-County/Washington/IT-leaders-point-to-Workday-software-cuts-and-device-policy-as-areas-to-trim-county-expenses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6163331-f1b89b7dfb53389af993f75c294aef31/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150963&Signature=Y5ou0B5iswZu4NRAqxhQmTHtD0OauNshV0XojTZnctiuSveZ2hVaDbGw4sERz57hGb92wBMUftQHFVl99m-H~qtEEdqG1o4Gv56xWji9S5RkDEFDgOZ7MaMcNlnsijuxjEvw6TfVFZCwgBcRv0WOZGrn0UbBtSAK~ypsmd82KLN6dxsc-A70QCKj5BhyYBFrqaCHxLvYq3CwCpkVB8nY3YJN3wYlRLPVNi0JTN11aq8SjKkbxIo~knwjK3-steKxlW67Z3rtphusalzALBWAQncSy25hCM8K2jRyB6-z02RpE3XD-Yu7B8ZxPISdP1NSIW9aLcdE2WGWO0Cr~d7uLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kevin Morris, director of IT, told department leaders July 21 that his office has already identified staffing and contract changes intended to lower operating costs and support the county\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000's budget targets.

\"The first thing that came up was knowing that we had an accounting tech that deals with, accounts receivable. And with Workday, that position was no longer necessary,\" Morris said, describing a staff reassignment and a rapid internal placement with human resources.

Why it matters: IT contracts and annual software licenses are recurring costs countywide. Morris said the county maintains 80 to 100 software agreements and some are multiyear contracts that do not decline in price.

Actions and opportunities described by IT:
- Staff changes and classifications: retirements and promotions created opportunities to reclassify and hold positions vacant to save payroll costs. Morris noted multiple anticipated retirements in 2025\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 and early 2026 and said some management-level roles could be adjusted.
- Software consolidation: Morris described eliminating applications as Workday converts functions such as HR and finance, citing plans to retire Questica and other redundant systems and to renegotiate large vendor support agreements. \"We won't need Quest again. We don't we're not using it now. You don't gotta stand in no way,\" he said.
- Device policy: County staff reported a countywide \"one device\" policy and estimated savings (county staff estimated the hardware cost per device at roughly $1,200 and suggested consolidated device counts save significant dollars).

Morris urged departments to identify licenses and services they no longer need and to evaluate whether support for an application could be centralized or replaced with an off-the-shelf product, which IT typically finds cheaper to maintain than bespoke in-house systems.

Ending: IT leaders said software and licensing reviews, combined with careful succession planning for retirements, can produce measurable savings but require department cooperation and procurement follow-through.","The county\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000's IT director described staff reclassifications, retirements, software eliminations and a one-device policy as measures to reduce costs; departments were asked to identify redundant licenses and shared services.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6163337,"Commissioners push departments to use attrition, prioritize mandatory services to close budget gap",3000,1215180,4216017,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525&start=1215&end=4216","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525/thumbnail_1215180.jpg","/articles/6163337/Spokane-County/Washington/Commissioners-push-departments-to-use-attrition-prioritize-mandatory-services-to-close-budget-gap","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6163337-6f7ef9ac1500f331050dfc2fa9ebcaa3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150963&Signature=R7hsvOl71mC9lscn-J4cfzap40SzUF~y7zUPhqxJ3k~r0YW48w~Q7QV-ROyoy6~xQCJXfm5S44CiCHF7uKNgy0ie-9zIs4F7u0a1Ov29bOmWTOP9Y9kRATJ5ggNWTfIivYEK2jnE2MlI5gMfFc8IRRr0TrHpYRuUQPeOJu~7HMsdatE13aU5Fr4zX0sQVNoyeLCmY4epRgCH-B7l-wzrhdkFIi8fK9XXNRQXexWPDaYFeGX4P8QRI4KXy6rsfoekKcO~j5chB6T2ePTemu~htV1KMen0wuoxti0Fchex5w~pxrHtIPyf0g997ISEWH2jvnjoBymloc874XvSdeOrfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Spokane County commissioners told department managers July 21 to prioritize mandatory services and use attrition and vacancy reviews to reduce labor costs as part of plans to close a projected budget shortfall.

Why it matters: labor is the county\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000's largest expense and departments collectively must balance cutting costs without undermining statutorily required services.

Commissioner Burrows emphasized aligning service levels to available revenues and identifying \"must dos\" versus \"nice dos.\" He urged early action on vacancies, saying the earlier departments begin using attrition, the easier reductions will be to implement without layoffs. \"Attrition is another big thing. You know, our number 1 expense we have here is labor,\" Burrows said.

Examples from departments:
- Several departments reported eliminating vacant positions. Burrows and staff said initial vacancy reviews had removed roughly 70 positions; a later comment put the number \"up to 79.\" \"We have already started, started looking at attrition, looking at positions that have been vacant for extended period of time. That's we have, we've we've eliminated 70 positions just looking at that,\" a commissioner said.
- The clerk's office and legal offices identified operational efficiencies through digitization and reassigning staff paid from restricted state funds out of the general fund.
- The sheriff/public-safety and public works teams were identified as likely to draw strong public comment if service levels are reduced; staff said parks, public safety, and transportation commonly generate the most public interest.

Staff asked departments to submit budgets that show what can be done at assigned targets, identify reductions that affect service levels and offer prioritized lists of items to restore if dollars become available. \"When you submit your budget back, you're going to outline some of the things that you change or adjust with your budget to meet what your assigned budget is,\" a county staff member said.

Ending: Commissioners reiterated there is no single easy fix and called for creativity, cross-department coordination and early planning to use attrition as a primary tool to reduce labor costs ahead of formal budget adoption.","At a July 21 strategic planning meeting, commissioners and managers discussed using attrition, vacancy reviews and service-level reductions to reduce labor costs and align spending with flat revenues; several departments reported position eliminations and reclassifications.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6163342,"Spokane County officials warn of $20 million shortfall, outline limited revenue options",2427,680850,3108378,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525&start=680&end=3108","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5435835-5b39b532ca971b5f821ff3c8b7136525/thumbnail_680850.jpg","/articles/6163342/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-officials-warn-of-20-million-shortfall-outline-limited-revenue-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6163342-39f253bc030412290f29bc96b010ac99/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150963&Signature=TMkz7O9q6Sn708ymA8cPXNJ4~EQQZpdr~mco8TlCRtwMlS8BCZ7~A-1VED-kriv3a~QAx1OTWZy~D0ALf0Jm5P-dFGWTq-b29Ar4t5ON9r~fux3eFXTmpJgC4YiwVebC9ugUj7AZkBr52Raf0TmQBTj7RNUs4ETufwRqUiWsYJTKsc9CPvgPofZTtA0LEYBFs-yayLsPUHnIhb5cYoKU~4DD3tacUfn~XcOjfLIQxKZketoIMCfkTcPoGnHQe0D0zzpyhMZXN6OtpkXZAGTbnom0wmE~WHbwFEEqp5dxxYlNZmM5dkGXCXYdTUeqc2NmmumQfK-pGYhRPYH8YWxvDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Spokane County commissioners told department heads July 21 that projected revenues will leave the county with about a $20,000,000 deficit for fiscal 2026 and a longer-term structural gap that could approach $70,000,000 by 2030.

The gap, commissioners and staff said, results from flat sales and property tax growth, rising labor and benefits costs and uncertainty in state and federal funding. \"We are looking at a $20,000,000 deficit, you know, as we projected out for for next year,\" one commissioner said during the strategic planning meeting.

Why it matters: commissioners must by law adopt a balanced budget and have limited local tools to make up large, recurring shortfalls. Staff urged early planning so departments can identify one-time and ongoing options before the December budget adoption deadline.

County staff presented the main revenue options available to the board: a 1% general-fund property tax increase (estimated at about $700,000 for next year), use of the county\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000's \"banked\" levy capacity, a road-levy shift that could generate up to about $7,500,000, and a newly authorized council-initiated sales tax option.

Staff noted limitations for each option. The 1% property tax increase would be modest relative to the shortfall; the road-levy shift historically is treated as capital or road fund money rather than ongoing general-fund support; and a new county-level sales tax allowed by recent state legislation would require a majority vote of the commissioners, be limited in eligible uses (discussed as criminal-justice-related in the meeting) and still likely fall short of removing the structural gap. \"It only can go towards criminal justice purposes,\" a staff presenter said about the council-initiated sales tax authority.

Reserves and capital needs: staff reminded attendees that not all reserves are available to plug operating gaps. The county reported about $32,000,000 in unassigned/unrestricted reserves but also has a roughly $35,000,000 campus infrastructure project already underway plus additional capital needs (auditor and enterprise system replacements, sheriff vehicles and other one-time needs) staff estimated at roughly another $8\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000,000 to $11,000,000 beyond the campus project. Staff cautioned that the county\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000's reserve policy generally limits reserve use to one-time purposes and that drawing down reserves for ongoing operations can harm creditworthiness.

Next steps and board direction: departments were directed to prepare budget submissions that meet assigned targets, document the service-level implications of proposed reductions, and prioritize requests so the commissioners can weigh trade-offs across about 25 general-fund departments during August\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000 and into October and November deliberations. Staff also flagged federal grant uncertainty that could put specific positions at risk in emergency management and other programs.

The board did not take any formal votes at the meeting; staff said formal policy decisions and any tax or levy changes would require separate board action.

Ending: County leaders asked department managers to pursue cost-saving ideas and grant opportunities, and to return detailed, prioritized budget packages for commissioner review before the December budget adoption.","County commissioners and staff told department leaders that Spokane County faces a projected $20 million structural gap for next year that could grow to roughly $70 million by 2030; they reviewed limited revenue tools, reserve constraints and potential impacts on services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County leaders flag procurement capacity, shared contracts and project accountability as targets for savings

IT leaders point to Workday, software cuts and device policy as areas to trim county expenses

Commissioners push departments to use attrition, prioritize mandatory services to close budget gap

Spokane County officials warn of $20 million shortfall, outline limited revenue options