Cuts, cuts and more cuts is the picture presented by the King County executive and sheriff’s office, and the effects are rippling like a river through many cities, including Maple Valley.
Dow Constantine, the county executive, directed the sheriff’s office to cut $7 million from its budget to help close a $60 million hole in the county budget. The cuts in the sheriff’s office include laying off 28 deputies, which according to Maple Valley City Manager David Johnston, could cause serious problems for the city.
Maple Valley, like Covington, contracts city police services from King County and Johnston said the city has been able to maintain a smaller police force because Precinct No. 3 is located in the city. The city manager said on top of the layoffs, the precinct is on the chopping block and is to be closed by the end of 2011, if not sooner.
“The issue is because we have such a small force, the city has a public safety concern,” Johnston said. “We are concerned about the reduced level of service.”
Johnston said the Public Safety Oversight Committee will be considering the issue and making recommendations to the City Council.
Johnston said the city of Kenmore is looking at forming its own city police force and dropping the contract with King County. The sheriff’s office is also planning to close Precinct No. 2, which is located in Kenmore.
Sheriff Sue Rahr is looking to consolidate the precincts into fewer locations to save money.
Johnston has been invited by the Kenmore City Manager Frederick Stouder to be part of the process as that city considers forming a police force. By watching Kenmore, Johnston said it will give him more information to bring back to Maple Valley.
The city manager noted there is no question the sheriff’s department must lay off deputies and make the cuts, but the budget proposal places Maple Valley into a critical situation concerning public safety.
Johnston said the main areas of concern to the city include officer response time, the lack of backups and where prisoners will be taken.
The city manager said the Public Oversight Committee will be, “looking at everything from creating our own police department” and more innovative models like a regional force or sharing resources. The committee will analyze the cost of the county’s contract and look at the price tag of creating a city police force.
Johnston pointed out the city pays about $220,000 for dispatch from the county. Black Diamond is paying about $3 per call from Valley Communications Center. At that rate, the city would be paying about $90,000 each year for dispatch.
“This is providing us with a unique opportunity to look at the best way to do this,” Johnston said. “There is no fault to the sheriff’s department, but the decisions they have to make affects us.”
Also if the county goes through with closing Precinct No. 3 the city will have to find a facility for the emergency operations center, which is located on the second floor of the precinct. The center is where government agencies will gather when an emergency strikes the area.
“It is this type of thing that is forcing us to make decisions,” Johnston said. “No one argues the sheriff’s department has to deal with these issues. Their budget is shrinking from annexations and the economy.”
