GOLDENDALE — Klickitat County took the unusual step of moving their standing Tuesday meeting to Monday, Dec. 9 in order to guarantee a quorum, with just Chair Lori Zoller and Commissioner Jake Anderson present. Commissioner Dan Christopher indicated at the Dec. 3 meeting that he had a family vacation scheduled starting Dec. 9.
Though much of the meeting was routine, commissioners were able to finalize property tax levies, the 2025-2030 capital improvement plans, and the county’s 2025 budget. The record on those issues had been held open for written comment from the previous Tuesday’s board meeting through Friday, but none had been received.
Commissioners heard the first report by new Klickitat County Jail Administrator Bill Frantz. He told commissioners the county had welcomed him with open arms, he had met a lot of people and was working on a number of projects.
“Sanitation and security inspection processes,” he said. “Equipment needs and priorities. Rebranding, and how we can be rebrand without having to spend a lot of money. Simple things like using the same footprint of the patch that we have means we don’t have to buy new jackets and things like that.”
It was also a chance for county Finance Director Jennifer Neil to respond to public comments in a hearing at a previous meeting:
“I take great pride in insuring that the information I provide is accurate, transparent and reliable,” she said. “To maintain this standard, I rely solely on data sourced from the county’s financial system, which is audited by both county auditor and the state auditor.
“This approach is not only best practice but also a responsibility that I take seriously to uphold the integrity of the financial reporting. It ensures that all information shared is verifiable, unbiased, and reflective of the actual financial records.
“In response to the recent inquiry regarding revenue received by renewable energy corporations, I want to clarify that the question did not specify the type of revenue being referenced. As such, my initial response was generalized, noting that some revenue might come from the state, a detail that is not visible in the county’s financial system,” Neil continued.
“Based on the context, it seems the inquiry's referring to property tax revenue. However, our financial system categorizes revenue by type, not by source, which means it does not identify specific entities contributing to property tax collections.
“Additionally, I do not have access to the treasury system for detailed property tax data and am limited to the same tools available to the public for looking up individual properties. I understand that this may sometimes lead to limitations in the data that I provide. However, my commitment to using auditable and official data is critical for maintaining accountability and public trust,” she said.
“I encourage anybody with concerns or questions to reach out to me and I’m happy to explain the process and the standards that guide my work. Thank you all for your understanding. As I continue to prioritize accuracy and transparency in all aspects of financial reporting.”
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