The current system definately doesn't work expecially when there is a personal agenda. Decisions are being made based on personal beliefs being carried out by two out of the three, undermining our community and its citizens. The decisions of Mortensen and Dahl are creating more hardships. They seem to lack the ability of "long term" analysis, unaware of the immediate damage their decisions create. Support for community programs and their citizens can not be randomly voted down without having the infrastructure in place to replace what is currently available thru state funding in order to support a healthy community.
In July 2022, Cowlitz County and its cities received millions of dollars in federal pandemic recovery money, which most jurisdictions have begun spending on a variety of projects. In total, the county, Longview, Kelso, Woodland, Kalama and Castle Rock received about $36.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money.
Utilities Manager Patrick Harbison said the staff were able to recommend a modest salary increase for 2023 because the commissioners allocated federal COVID relief money to help pay for capital projects. The planned upgrades total more than $16 million, with about $6.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding. Superior and District Court Judges salaries are set by the Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. The state of Washington pays 50% of the Superior Court Judge salaries.
However, when a disabled person requires reimbursement for property damage due to flooding caused by county negligence, applies for and is approved to receive money from a state grant designed for this very purpose, Mortensen and Dahl deny that citizen their rightful due.
Thanks for the article. It brought back memories of when I served as a Freeholders in 1998. I wish we could have passed the home rule charter then and maybe avoided some of the problems we're seeing now.
Thank you! We need a change and I hadn’t realized this was an option. I’m totally behind it!
Excellent.
The current system definately doesn't work expecially when there is a personal agenda. Decisions are being made based on personal beliefs being carried out by two out of the three, undermining our community and its citizens. The decisions of Mortensen and Dahl are creating more hardships. They seem to lack the ability of "long term" analysis, unaware of the immediate damage their decisions create. Support for community programs and their citizens can not be randomly voted down without having the infrastructure in place to replace what is currently available thru state funding in order to support a healthy community.
In July 2022, Cowlitz County and its cities received millions of dollars in federal pandemic recovery money, which most jurisdictions have begun spending on a variety of projects. In total, the county, Longview, Kelso, Woodland, Kalama and Castle Rock received about $36.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money.
Utilities Manager Patrick Harbison said the staff were able to recommend a modest salary increase for 2023 because the commissioners allocated federal COVID relief money to help pay for capital projects. The planned upgrades total more than $16 million, with about $6.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding. Superior and District Court Judges salaries are set by the Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. The state of Washington pays 50% of the Superior Court Judge salaries.
However, when a disabled person requires reimbursement for property damage due to flooding caused by county negligence, applies for and is approved to receive money from a state grant designed for this very purpose, Mortensen and Dahl deny that citizen their rightful due.
Thanks for the article. It brought back memories of when I served as a Freeholders in 1998. I wish we could have passed the home rule charter then and maybe avoided some of the problems we're seeing now.