Senate rejects plan to split agency

PAUL QUEARY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published Sunday, March 3, 2002

OLYMPIA -- The Senate rejected Gov. Gary Locke's proposal to split the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development back into two separate agencies Saturday.

Lawmakers said they were concerned about the cost of the move and irked by Locke's decision to perform much of the split without their approval.

The Department of Community Development and the Department of Trade and Economic Development were merged in 1993. Since then, Locke and others have argued that the combination was a bad fit because one department dealt primarily with economic development, energy and trade, while the other dealt mostly with housing, community services and local government.

"It cost us a whole lot of money and it was not the right thing to do," said Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island.

But opponents argued that splitting the departments apart again would only cost more in duplicated directors and support staff.

"If you like big government, you'll vote for this bill," said Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver. "You cannot believe that this is not going to cost any more money."

Just how much Senate Bill 1474 would cost is unclear because much of the change has already been done. Locke made the split administratively on May 15, 2000, said Pearse Edwards, his press secretary.

"It was to allow each new office to improve its responsiveness," Edwards said.

When the Senate passed a similar bill last year, Locke's Office of Financial Management estimated the cost at nearly $2.8 million for the 2001-2003 biennium, dropping to $2.4 million in 2003-2005 and 2005-2007.

But this year, the same office calculated the cost at just $4,224.

"Since May 2000, the Office of Community Development and the Office of Trade and Economic Development have been operating as separate organizations," the Office of Financial Management said. "These costs have been absorbed by the programs within OCD and OTED, shared across all programs and fund sources."

Some lawmakers denounced those changes as an intrusion into the Legislature's policy-making power.

"He spent that $2 million breaking the department up," said Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam. "He needs to get permission ahead of time."

Although Locke's liaisons to the Legislature lobbied intensively before the vote, the bill failed 21-27, with eight of his fellow Democrats voting no.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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