County personnel and elected officials told the county’s personnel committee on July 10 that the county is facing a severe short-term cash squeeze and must consider a hiring freeze, targeted program cuts and stricter controls on position budgeting. "I think the bigger discussion is...we're in the most dire fiscal crisis we've ever been in," one board member said, adding that the county could have only about $2,000,000 in cash available by February while running a payroll of about $3,000,000 a month.

The warning came during a broader personnel discussion prompted by a cluster of recent resignations among deputy and assistant attorneys, public defenders and other staff. Committee members and staff focused on how to preserve essential services while reducing payroll and other recurring costs, and on improving how positions are budgeted and authorized.

Why this matters: Committee members said the county’s projected cash shortfall and high monthly payroll create immediate operational risk and make this budget cycle unusually consequential. Several members urged full-board engagement in budget workshops and asked department heads to identify cuts and efficiency gains. One member urged that the entire governing body be involved: "It really needs to be all 17," the member said.

Most of the discussion centered on three levers: (1) a hiring freeze and holding vacancies open longer; (2) asking department heads for specific cut scenarios (for example, 5% or 10% reductions); and (3) adopting position budgeting in the county’s finance system so payroll aligns 1:1 with approved positions. Staff explained position budgeting will prevent overbudgeting for higher-step titles unless a promotion is planned and budgeted for in advance.

Committee members debated fairness and feasibility. Some said salary and fringe costs (including health insurance) are largely uncontrollable and should be treated separately from departmental operating budgets; others said department heads are best placed to identify nonessential programs and savings. Several members warned that across-the-board percentages would not fit every department because some offices are already lean, while others have built-in flexibility.

Staff and commissioners discussed specific process changes to manage promotions and backfill requests. One staff member noted the county already allows the personnel officer to handle backfill requests administratively, and suggested the practice helped speed hiring in some departments. Others said the county has previously required vacancies to remain open for 60 days to justify the need.

No formal board action was taken on budget cuts or a systemwide hiring freeze during the meeting. Multiple members asked that the full governing body attend upcoming budget workshops and that department heads bring concrete cut options and service-priority recommendations. The committee scheduled further review of these items in finance and future personnel meetings.

Taper: Committee members said the budget work will extend beyond the next few months and asked for sustained board engagement and clearer departmental proposals this fall and at budget hearings.