Clallam County commissioners approve grants and contracts as residents criticize consultant payments, taxes and outreach

CLALLAM COUNTY, Wash. — The Clallam County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 18 approved several agreements and contracting items, including a federal grant aimed at fentanyl interdiction and a county contract for highway resurfacing, while members of the public used the meeting to press the board on consultant payments, forest-conservation support and property-tax increases.

Public commenters criticized payment to consultant Shannon & Wilson and a lack of transparent budgeting for road and reservoir projects. John Worthington, a Sequim resident, told the board he was "in opposition to the Shannon Wilson payout today," saying the county was "basically re, inventing the wheel" and suggesting earlier local plans had been displaced. Pepe Whipple, also of Sequim, cited recent vouchers and asked how much more the county would pay, arguing for greater transparency: "If the commissioners never set a budget, then there's no cap, no limit, just an open tab." Ed Bowen of Clallam Bay urged postponing the board's letter of support for a Forest Legacy application, calling parts of the application "misinformation" and warning of a "major paradigm shift" for the county's timber economy.

Other speakers pressed the commissioners over taxes and perceived conflicts of interest. Jeff Tozer, a Jamestown Road resident, said Commissioners had not…