Local News

Wahkiakum County officials ended January with a sharp examination of finances for the 2007 budgets.
Revenue from the sale of timber of trust lands didn’t reach the predicted level for 2006, they said, and it appears 2007 trust timber revenue will be closer to $606,000 than to the $900,000 figure used in the 2007 budget.
Normally, county officials say, they need about $2.2 million in trust timber revenue to finance all programs.

One program they’ll watch carefully is operation of the Wahkiakum Family Practice Clinic.
Commissioner George Trott said the county could have a $200,000 revenue shortfall for 2007, and clinic Business Manager Kathy Patterson said Tuesday she expects a $252,000 shortfall for the clinic in 2007.
The county has owned and operated the clinic for two years and has had to cover shortfalls each year.
Patterson said most public health clinics lose money across the state.
She and the board talked of ways to increase revenue; they agreed to seek a grant writer’s assistance in looking for funds that would support a weekend day for low income patients.
They also talked about rearranging staff schedules, and commissioners said they wanted to gather information about possible formation of a hospital district that would take over clinic operations and cover financial losses with property tax revenue.