Misplaced priorities

Clallam County's spending problem

Clallam County says it's cracking down on waste—but taxpayers are still footing the bill for poetry programs, drug-user pizza parties, and $30K-per-car parking lots. While families tighten their belts, the County keeps writing checks. Is anyone prioritizing the people who actually pay the taxes?

The Clallam County Board of Commissioners is finally fed up. In a rare moment of clarity, they are now calling for better prioritization and real savings for families. They’re not just promising to trim the fat—they say they’re committed to reclaiming misused resources and reinvesting in what matters. They’re also pledging to increase community engagement and address socio-environmental issues.

They are done with the waste… Food waste that is.

That’s right—after years of kids not cleaning their plates, the Board has officially proclaimed “Food Waste Prevention Week.” If that sounds like small potatoes, it’s because it is.

What rhymes with “wasteful spending?”

Meanwhile, in a showcase of “resource utilization,” Clallam County taxpayers are now in year three of funding a County Poet Laureate—they cut a check for $1,000 this week to further fund the program. The cultural value of poetry is one thing—but it’s worth asking: how many struggling families would rather have a haiku than lower taxes?

Commissioner Mark Ozias is also pulling a paycheck for his continued work with an Olympia-based NGO lobbying for property tax increases and a pay-per-mile driving tax. That's right—while locals are tightening their belts, one of their own commissioners is working to find new ways to reach deeper into their pockets.

And let’s not forget the ongoing costs at the County’s harm reduction center, where taxpayers are buying pizza for drug users alongside free supplies for injection, inhalation, and boofing. That pizza bill alone runs nearly $10,000 a year.

Priorities in practice

This week, the Clallam County Homelessness Task Force presented funding requests totaling nearly $1.85 million. The Board of Commissioners appeared receptive.

Some highlights include:

• $100,000 over two years for a Safe Parking Program in Sequim, run by Trinity United Methodist Church in Sequim. The program will offer overnight parking for 3–5 cars used as shelter by women, including those with children and transgender women. That’s up to $33,333 per parking space.

• $276,000 to fund ten shelter aides at Serenity House, providing security and janitorial work.

• $130,780.70 to Sarge’s Veteran Support: $80,000 for a case manager and $50,780.70 for a kitchen remodel in Forks.

All of these programs are no doubt well-intentioned. But intent doesn't equal impact. When public funds are spent, outcomes should be measured, performance reviewed, and priorities justified.

Who’s Watching the Wallet?

At a time when working families are drowning in rising property taxes, inflated grocery bills, and a shrinking sense that government is working for them, Clallam County continues to treat the public budget like a limitless buffet. Whether it’s niche programs with high administrative costs, feel-good titles with fuzzy goals, or taxpayer-funded perks for controversial harm reduction efforts—there’s a growing disconnect between what’s being funded and what the public actually needs.

Proclaiming Food Waste Prevention Week is easy. Reining in real waste—that’s the hard part. Until then, taxpayers are left to wonder: Where is the accountability, and who, exactly, is looking out for them?

Charter Review Commission Town Hall recap

Thank you to everyone who attended the Charter Review Commission Town Hall in Joyce last night. One topic that sparked questions was the item titled “government-to-government training,” which has evolved since it was first proposed. This initiative was originally introduced by Commissioner Jim Stoffer on January 27th, and at the time, he explained it this way:

"Because I have deep respect to all of our local tribes. School board directors, and school districts are required to do what's called government to government training, and that's mandatory for superintendents, the cabinet level, and school board directors. I'd like to see that at other elected levels because there is a lot of not of great understanding of how that works type thing. It's about respect of another sovereign government with each other and working together. So we'd like to see that."

Stoffer hasn’t specified who would develop the curriculum, conduct the training, or to whom “we” refers.