Commissioners press city on past‑due invoices as administration negotiates MOU

At the Dec. 8 budget workshop, several commissioners pressed administration for an update on unpaid invoices from the City that staff and a commissioner placed at roughly $232,000–$233,000 for FY2023–24. Commissioner McCurdy urged the county to pursue collection of past invoices and to use a forthcoming memorandum of understanding (MOU) as the vehicle to settle both past and future arrangements.

Administration response: county staff and administration told commissioners they are negotiating an MOU with the city (staff names referenced included Administrator Tyner and Michael Black) intended to address both ongoing interlocal arrangements and the past invoices. Commissioners expressed urgency — noting the funds from past invoices would help narrow the general‑fund shortfall — and recommended staff remind the city of the county’s budget timeline.

Why it matters: the past invoices are separate from the city’s current interlocal commitments (such as animal control and trail maintenance) and were described by one commissioner as past due for multiple years. Commissioners asked staff to present a clear tally of outstanding past invoices and to include possible consequences (such as reducing services to statutory levels) if the debts are not resolved.

Next steps: staff said they would follow up; commissioners requested a written list of the amounts and proposed an approach to assert collection or reduce county services to statutory minimums if past due amounts remain unpaid.