WEST MY FRIEND CONCERT
Football and ‘Futbol’ both bow out of state playoffs
CCC of Tonasket Friday, Nov. 21, 7:00 p.m.
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Tonasket Criminal Justice levy pulls ahead by one vote
FABULOUS 50’s FUND RAISER
If final ballot count remains the same the measure passes without recount, says Mayor Plumb In an all mail election, and with the increased use of the Tonasket City Hall ballot drop box, it is premature to call OKANOGAN – If Tonasket’s Criminal any local elections until all the ballots Justice measure were a horserace, it have been processed at the Auditor’s would be a photo finish and it looks as Office, according to Plumb. “I have heard at times that more than though the self-imposed tax of ).1 perhalf of the ballots cent has won not received by the by a nose, but by a “Although the language of are Auditor’s office whisker. the tax is quite open-ended, after 8 p.m. on As of the last vote day,” said count, taken Friday, I would like to assure peo- election Plumb. “I am surNov. 14, the meaple that the entire amount prised at the outsure which would of the elecincrease the sales we collect in this tax will come tion, and I appretax to raise revbe entirely expended on ciate the voters enue for criminal the sacrijustice and fire proCriminal Justice fees now making fice to help us meet tection costs, was our obligations to leading by a single and into the future.” provide Criminal vote out of the 273 Mayor Patrick Plumb Justice services to votes cast. The elecCity of Tonasket Tonasket.” tion day count had The mayor Proposition 1, a added, “Although Sales and Use Tax Levy trailing by 12 votes. The following the language of the tax is quite openFriday’s vote still had it behind, before ended, I would like to assure people that this last count pushed the measure across the entire amount we collect in this tax the finish line, evoking surprise and sev- will be entirely expended on Criminal eral comments from Tonasket’s Mayor, Justice fees now and into the future.” Patrick Plumb. SEE JUSTICE | PG A2 BY GARY A. DEVON
EDITOR@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
North Valley Community Schools held their 50’s Dance last Saturday night at Vicki’s Back Door to raise money for the many popular classes they offer to adults in Oroville and Tonasket. Above, Lynn Cuff and Paul Bouchard and Janice and Spence Higby cut a rug at the event. Right, Project 3:16 played many popular old tunes from the 50s, as well as the 60s and 70s. Below, right, Linda Colvin, Ellen Barttels and Helen Casey serve up treats at the annual fund raiser. Below, Kevin Brewster and Leah Palmer, look marvelous as Elvis and Marilyn. For more see page A3.
COLA or raise? Tonasket debates pay increases
Gary DeVon/staff photos
BY BRENT BAKER BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
TONASKET - Is it a raise or a cost of living adjustment? That discussion dominated much of the City of Tonasket’s budget hearing Wednesday, Nov. 12, as the City Council attempted to shoehorn rising expenses into a stagnant revenue pool. Council members Jill Vugteveen and Scott Olson, comprising the finance committee, had proposed a two percent COLA for city employees. That resulted in a sharp debate between Vugteveen and Mayor Patrick Plumb about the nature of COLA and what the city could afford. This issue was complicated by the fact that the city is also trying to play “catch up” with one employee they deemed to
be underpaid, in terms of entry compensation for similar positions. The two percent across the board COLA would come to a total of $9,110 in cost to the city, though not all of it would come from the general fund that has been so strapped for cash. “If you do a percent increase, flat rate across the board ... then we wouldn’t be doings this catch up crap with lower paid employees,” Plumb said. “Because with a flat rate it would be a bigger percentage for the lower paid staff than the higher paid staff ... it balances out over time. (With percentage) the top ones go up faster, as we’ve done yearly the past few years, which has created more of a difference.” Plumb suggested taking the total increase of $9,110 and distributing that increase equally to each employee, regardless of what the percentage would
SEE COUNCIL | PG A3
Michel presents two-pronged nursing home strategy Focus groups to formulate both success and closure contingency plans BY BRENT BAKER BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
TONASKET - Citing the need to discuss “the elephant in the room,” North Valley Hospital District Administrator Linda Michel outlined a dual plan to cope with continuing financial losses at the North Valley Extended Care nursing home facility at the Thursday, Nov. 13, board of commissioners meeting.
The commissioners unanimously approved the recommendations formulated by Michel and the district’s senior administrators that formed a pair of teams: one, to find a way to make the nursing home financially viable; the other, to come up with a contingency plan to close the facility if the first team is unable to come up with such a plan. The nursing home is projected to lose nearly $893,000 in 2014 and another $809,000 next year. The district, although it has climbed out of warrants and will finish 2014 about $1.2 million in the black this year and a projected $707,000 next year, is at risk if those losses continue. Michel said this risk is thanks to rising costs and looming changes in how hospitals will be paid for Medicaid and Medicare patients, which comprise the
OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 110 No. 47
majority of North Valley Hospital’s base. Also, she said, the facility has more than $2 million in capital needs, including about $1.4 million in repairs and maintenance that she characterized as urgent but were not factored into the operations budget. Those needs include equipment (cardiac monitoring system, patient lift, lab equipment, etc.) as well as facility needs (new windows in the Extended Care, roof and parapet on the older portion of the hospital, work on the HVAC system, and computer work to keep up with changing federal standards). On top of that, the state has mandated that counties no longer loan hospital Brent Baker/staff photo districts money to make up for shortfalls North Valley Extended Care’s future could be determined by March as two committees in daily operations - warrants - making have been formed by the Board of Commissioners to either come up with a plan to make SEE NVH | PG A2 it financially viable, or provide a contingency plan for its closure.
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