2020-07-08 District Court FTE PA salary discussionDistrict Court FTE / PA salary discussion
July 8, 2020
9:30 a.m.
Present: Commissioner Stamper, Commissioner Fund, Commissioner Jackson (remotely), County
Manager Erik Martin, Jonathan Meyer, Judge Buzzard, Daleyn Coleman, Becky Butler, Brittni Rogers,
Megan Eastman, Brittani Bonahoom
Recorder: Rieva Lester
Judge Buzzard said District Court is requesting permission to fill a District Court Clerk Grade 16 position
that had existed in the past but had been rolled back. He noted that recent departures had resulted in
more than 120 years of experience leaving and that the combined experience is roughly five years.
Judge Buzzard said the position can be absorbed into District Court’s budget for 2020.
Becky Butler discussed Coronavirus Funding the state will provide to the courts system.
Commissioner Stamper, Commissioner Fund and Commissioner Jackson approved District Court’s
request for the additional position.
Judge Buzzard and Brittni Rogers left at 9:49 a.m.
Jonathan and Daleyn Coleman said the state ties its increase to the PA’s salary to that of the increase to
Superior Court judges’ salaries. They said the raise for the judges is roughly $18,000, so the state would
provide a roughly $9,000 increase and the county would decide whether to match that. Daleyn said the
county’s portion for the remainder of the year would be roughly $3,700.
Becky Butler noted that the Salary Commission met the previous night and plans to recommend a raise
for all elected officials.
Becky said the BOCC’s past practice has been to match the state’s increase.
The commissioners voiced concerns about providing raises while the county faces economic uncertainty.
Commissioner Jackson said he would defer to Commissioner Stamper and Commissioner Fund.
Commissioner Fund noted that the increase is a provision of the RCW but that the county match is
optional.
Jonathan said he shares the commissioners’ concerns about receiving an increase while the county faces
economic uncertainly.
Commissioner Jackson said he is not in favor of the county providing the match. Commissioner Stamper
said he is in support of the increase. Commissioner Fund said she would like to see an outline of the
proposal and delay the board’s decision until after the Salary Commission meets Aug. 4.
The commissioners directed Daleyn to provide further information about the request and said they
would further the deliberate the request after the Salary Commission’s Aug. 4 meeting.
Becky said the Salary Commission had passed a motion the previous night 4-2 to recommend a 10
percent increase to electeds’ salaries. She said the group intends to use its next meeting to develop its
plan on how to present that recommendations to the commissioners.
Meeting ended at 10:22 a.m.