Wahkiakum board of county commissioners FAQ's

Board of Wahkiakum County Commissioner Responsibilities

The Board of County Commissioners consists of three members that serve as the county's legislative executive and policy makers. The primary legislative powers of the board of commissioners include construction and maintenance of public buildings; granting licenses; fixing the tax levies for the county and having the same collected; authorizing payments owed by the county and auditing all officers having control of county monies; managing county property and county funds; prosecuting and defending all actions for or against the county; and making and enforcing by appropriate resolutions and ordinances and all such police and sanitary regulations not in conflict with state law.

The County Budget

One of the County Commissioners' primary duties is to establish the levy rate to operate the county and to adopt a balanced budget for each calendar year, by fixing the budget for each department of the county.

Administrators- As administrators, Commissioners are responsible for:

• Public roads and public works programs
• Public health services
• Planning and zoning of unincorporated areas
• Emergency services or civil defense programs
• County park and recreation systems
• Other services and programs which are not clearly the responsibility of another elected county official

Policy-Makers

County commissioners have a key role in a wide variety of community boards and commissions which affect citizens within and even beyond their jurisdictions. Commissioners often serve on a variety of multi-county boards and state and national committees with other officials to develop public policy. Within the county structure, commissioners are also responsible for appointing citizens to county boards and commissions.

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2010 Board and Commission Appointments

Commissioner Daniel L. Cothren

District 2

• WSAC Timber Counties – Chairman
• DNR Fire Prevention Committee
• Wahkiakum Co. Emergency Management
• Wahkiakum Co. Board of Health
• SW Washington Workforce Development Council
• Executive Board to Workforce Development Council
• LEOFF Board
• Wahkiakum Co. Law & Justice Council
• SW Washington Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities
• Columbia River Estuary Study Task Force Alternate
• Lower Columbia River Joint Fisheries Coalition

Commissioner Blair H. Brady, Chair

District 3

• Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments
• Regional Planning Transportation Organization
• Washington State Association of Counties Rural Issues SubCommittee
• Wahkiakum Community Network
• Wahkiakum Co. Board of Health
• Wahkiakum Co. Fair Board Liaison
• Community Action Planning Council
• Community Action Planning Council Program Committee
• Wahkiakum Community Network
• Solid Waste Advisory Board
• Wahkiakum Co. Lead Collective Bargaining Negotiator
• Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board
• Watershed Resource Inventory Area Board for area 25/26
• Southwest Washington Clean Air Agency

Commissioner Lisa M. Marsyla, Vice Chair

District 1

• Washington Counties Insurance Fund
• Washington Counties Insurance Pool
• RETRO Rating Pool
• WSAC Risk Pool
• Puget Island Erosion Control  Zone Committee Liaison
• Wahkiakum Co. Board of Health
• Alternate on Cowlitz Wahkiakum Council of Governments
• Lower Columbia Economic Development Council
• Wahkiakum County Information Technology Steering Committee
• Mental Health Board
• Chemical Dependency Board

Departments directly under the Commissioners:

The commissioners have four departments which report directly to the commissioners. Those agencies include the Public Works Department, Health and Human Services Agency, Commissioners’ Office, and the Building & Planning Department.  .

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For general questions or to request an appointment with the County Commissioner's,
please contact Marsha LaFarge, Administrative Coordinator/Clerk of the Board, lafargem@co.wahkiakum.wa.us, (360) 795-8048.