09/20/2007: "9 Grand For 8 Days, “Try Not To Spend It All!”"

The County Council, and the County Commissioners before them, have always complained about “unfunded mandates”-those regulations and laws that state such-and-such must be done, but do not provide the funding to do what is demanded- so once the current Council passed a new Orca Ordinance, they had to come up with some money if they expected anything to happen.

Problem of course, is that the County has more programs and priorities than it can afford to fund, and a whole raft of obligations that must be funded, so it is no easy matter to come up with the projected $16,500 (latest estimate) a month for limited enforcement of the Orca ordinance.

Given that the need is limited by the time of year when the whales are in the area, the Council decided that for the rest of this year they would fund only eight days of protection that would correspond with the Roche Harbor salmon derby.

After giving Sheriff Bill Cumming the funding, the Council asked Cumming to use as little of the money as possible, and that stressed that it was important to make a showing so people would know the County is -as Councilman Gene knapp said- serious about enforcement. The Sheriff will work hand-in-hand with officers from the Department of Fish & Wildlife, and it is expected there may be a total of three boats patrolling the waters while the derby is going on.