The Pierce County Council this afternoon tabled County Executive Pat McCarthy’s request to transfer about $261,000 to her office to boost staffing there.

McCarthy requested the council transfer the money from the communications and human resources department to help cover the costs of a reorganization in her office. As part of that reorganization McCarthy has hired three executive directors to oversee various county departments.

The council voted 5-2 to reject McCarthy’s request. The council’s two Democrats – Tim Farrell and Barbara Gelman – voted against tabling McCarthy’s request.

Councilman Shawn Bunney, R-Lake Tapps, said he did not want to pass judgment yet on the merits of McCarthy’s proposed reorganization. But he wanted to take up McCarthy’s request when the council discusses ways to plug an $8 million hole in the county budget.

“I just thing it fits better within a larger discussion of priorities,” Bunney said.

After the vote, Deputy Executive Kevin Phelps suggested the council is involved in “gamesmanship” with McCarthy. He said the executive has the authority to reorganize the office.

“It’s an interesting place to draw a line in the sand,” Phelps said.

The budding relationship between new Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy and the County Council will get its first test this afternoon. That’s when the council will take up McCarthy’s request to transfer funding from other departments to her office to support the administrative reorganization she favors.

Early indications are the council won’t give her what she wants, at least today.

McCarthy has requested the council transfer about $261,000 from the county communication and human resources departments to the executive’s office. That would help boost staffing in McCarthy’s office and support a new administrative structure there.

Previous Executive John Ladenburg had a single chief of staff (Lyle Quasim) who oversaw county departments. McCarthy has hired three “executive directors” to divvy up the departments.

Throughout her campaign McCarthy spoke of reorganizing county government to make it more efficient and responsive to taxpayers. She sees the reorganization of her office as a first step. McCarthy told me this morning the new structure will help her get a better handle on the various departments and determine whether taxpayers are getting “the biggest bang for their buck.”

“The bottom line is, my goal is to make county government more efficient,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said the new structure of her office is “budget neutral,” meaning it requires no new spending. It’s merely shuffling money between departments. McCarthy said the money is coming from vacant positions in communications and human resources and will not reduce services to county taxpayers or employees.

But the council appears far from sold. Budget neutral or not, Councilmen Roger Bush, R-Graham, and Dick Muri, R-Steilacoom, last week note McCarthy has requested a nearly 25 percent increase in the executive’s budget. And they question other cost-shifting McCarthy has engineered to pay for her reorganization.

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Thanks to Gov. Chris Gregoire's press shop, I may have found a fallback position in the event I lose my job in the next round of layoffs at The News Tribune: Census taker, aka "enumerator."

The U.S. Census Bureau will be hiring 4,000 temporary workers, most of them February through May, for several weeks to go around counting heads.

Since a lot of federal funds are distributed based on a state's population, Gregoire's office is encouraging everyone to get counted. It means more money for the state.

I called the Regional Census Center Recruiting Department at 866-861-2010 and listened to a bit of the recorded messages. You have to take a 28-question multiple choice exam to see if you can read, count and read a map, and you have to pass a criminal background check.

This might tide me over until the Puyallup Fair starts in September. That's another 17 days of work.

Making sure everyone is counted
Decennial census info means money, representation and jobs for state

OLYMPIA – Even though the census is a year away, census workers are needed soon. The local Census Office will be hiring 4,000 temporary employees for 2009.

“This is not only an opportunity for thousands of Washingtonians to gain much-needed employment, this census ensures Washington receives its fair share of federal funds,” Gregoire said. “Every Washingtonian who completes the census form means about $800 of federal funds each year coming to Washington for roads, community and senior centers, schools, hospitals and emergency preparedness.”

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Rep. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, was House floor leader for minority Republicans last year (see correction below), then he sorta dropped off the face of the earth.

It was after the 36 Republicans (outnumbered by 62 Democrats) reorganized themselves.

As floor leader, he is chief spokesman for "the loyal opposition" and comments on just about every bill that comes up for a vote. So his absence was noticeable. Ericksen wasn't very talkative after he lost his job.

But I was told Ericksen made a bid for minority leader, but Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, held onto the job. Apparently they've all put the palace revolt behind them 'cause now they're publicly nice-nice.

CORRECTION: I had the wrong title for Ericksen. He was deputy leader in 2007-08 and floor leader in 2005-06. I'm also told that Ericksen "began the 2009 legislative session by being appointed lead Republican on the House Health Care and Wellness Committee," which must be quite an honor.

Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse of Sunnyside, the former floor leader, was appointed state Agriculture Secretary last week by Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Ericksen elected House Republican floor leader
42nd District lawmaker returns to leadership role, will lead House floor debate

Rep. Doug Ericksen was elected today by his House Republican colleagues to be floor leader. He replaces Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, who was selected Friday by Gov. Chris Gregoire to be director of the state Department of Agriculture.

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