County staff propose consolidating interpreter contracts after $330,000 in mid‑year spending
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Summary
County officials said interpretive services have cost the county about $330,000 from January through July across 27 suppliers and recommended pursuing standing contracts to reduce ad‑hoc payments and last‑minute cancellation fees.
County staff told commissioners that interpreter services across county departments have been purchased from many different suppliers and that consolidation could save money.
"We've paid $330,000, I believe, January through July, year to 27 different entities and individuals," a county staff member said during the Sept. 29 workshop. The presenter said that figure covers multiple departments (court, prosecutor, public defense, human services) and that the annual total could trend toward $650,000 if current usage continues.
Staff recommended establishing one or two standing contracts for commonly used languages and a handful of individual contracts for rare languages that require certified interpreters. The courts and other elected offices may have different certification needs; presenters noted certified court interpreters are required for some hearings and that software translation does not currently substitute for certified human interpretation in court proceedings.
County grants staff said a centralized contract or piggybacking on state contracts could reduce last‑minute cancellation fees and higher hourly rates that occur when departments source interpreters ad hoc.
Ending: Staff said they will compile a consolidated list of operational and capital asks and circulate the updated vendor/ask spreadsheet to commissioners for further review.