A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEWPORT MINER & GEM STATE MINER
Who’s In Charge 2014 Guide to Government Pend Oreille and West Bonner Counties Editor’s Note: The following information will also be posted on The Miner’s website, www.pendoreillerivervalley.com. If changes are warranted throughout the year, contact The Miner at 509-447-2433. The Miner staff contacted each of these agencies through letter and/or telephone to update the information.
Pend Oreille County Commissioners 509-447-4119 District 1: Karen Skoog, chairwoman (2016) District 2: Mike Manus, member (2014) District 3: Steve Kiss, vice chairman (2016) Four-year terms
Manus
Skoog
Kiss
Annual salary: $53,148 Duties: Serve as chief legislative and executive body in county; including, but not limited to, approve taxes; adopt a balanced budget, operate budgets under control of appointed department heads; oversee public roads and works; counseling; planning of unincorporated areas; and other services which are not clearly the responsibility of another elected official. Appoint citizens to commissions and boards; represent the county locally, regionally and statewide on various boards such as public health and economic development. Mail: P.O. Box 5025, Newport, WA 99156 Board meets every Monday and Tuesday at 9 a.m. in commissioners’ office, main floor of the courthouse. Clerk of the board: Elizabeth Braun Office hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday
Human Resources 509-447-6499 Duties: Receive and process all county employment applications; maintain personnel records; etc. Mail: P.O. Box 5025, Newport WA 99156 Human Resource Coordinator: Shelly Stafford
Auditor 509-447-6474 Fax: 509-447-2475 Marianne Nichols (2014) Four-year term Annual salary: $55,805 Duties: Finance – Maintain county’s central computerized accounting system, issuance of disbursements and responsible for financial accounting and reporting for expendi- Nichols tures, grants, budgets, and monthly and annual reports. Elections – Administer federal, state, county, municipal and special purpose elections. Licensing – Issuance of licenses for vehicles and vessels, titles, registrations, license plates and renewal tabs. Recording – Maintain historic records in perpetuity, including real property and marriage licenses. Public Records Officer Mail: P.O. Box 5015, Newport, WA 99156
Assessor 509-447-4312 Fax: 509-447-6450 James McCroskey (2014) Four-year term Annual salary: $55,805 Duties: Determines the market value of all private real and personal property within the county; constructs a property tax McCroskey roll and establishes levy rates based on the taxing districts budgets according to state law;
keeps records of ownership/tax payers and legal descriptions of all private property; keeps maps of ownership including approximate property boundaries; administers senior/disabled citizen property tax exemption; and administers current use assessment programs. Mail: P.O. Box 5010, Newport, WA 99156
Treasurer 509-447-3612 Fax: 509-447-0318 Terri Miller (2014) Four-year term Annual salary: $55,805 The treasurer serves multiple state and local governmental entities and Miller is accountable directly to the citizens. Primary responsibilities include: Collecting real and personal property taxes (including performing foreclosures on real property and distraints of personal property), special assessments, excise tax, and miscellaneous receipts from other county districts and departments and collection of delinquent accounts; accounting for all funds and deposits of revenues for the state, county, cities and junior taxing districts (schools, port, cemeteries, fire, hospital, and water/ sewer) mailing financial statements to all monthly; determining adequate liquidity in funds for issuance of warrants for payment to vendors for various entities; administering short- and long-term debt financing; managing the cash flow of the county and investing funds not needed for immediate expenditures for the county and junior taxing districts; coordinating banking services. Mail: P.O. Box 5080, Newport, WA 99156
Public Works
509-447-4513 Fax: 509-447-5890 Located in the lower level of the County Courthouse. Mail: P.O. Box 5065, Newport WA 99156 • Administration Sam Castro, director of public works
Don Ramsey, county engineer • County Road Division 509-447-4513 Responsible for all county road work and projects performed by three county road maintenance districts Castro and construction work; administers county road and equipment funds; designs road projects and issues calls for bids. Also responsible for road survey design and contract administration of county Ramsey road construction projects. Mail: P.O. Box 5040, Newport, WA 99156 • Solid Waste Division 509-447-4513 Responsible for solid waste planning and disposal in the north county, Usk and south county transfer stations. Responsible for recycling programs, household hazardous waste and moderate risk waste planning and disposal. Mail: P.O. Box 5041, Newport WA 99156 • Buildings and Grounds, 509-447-4513 Responsible for physical plant and grounds keeping operations at six county buildings. Mail: P.O. Box 5068, Newport, WA 99156
Community Development 509-447-4821
Mike Lithgow, director Responsible for county land use, growth management planning and the county park system. Also responsible for the review and approval of various development and construction permits, such as building permits, shoreline development permits, subdivision and mobile home park and Lithgow recreational vehicle park approvals. The park board meets the third Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m. in the Cusick Community Center.