Boards, licensing offices may be eliminated

Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed Monday to streamline state government and cut costs by eliminating dozens of volunteer boards, shuttering 25 Department of Licensing offices and upgrading online services.

The move could save the state $15 million over the next two years, according to the Office of Financial Management.

The governor said she will use her executive power to immediately eliminate 54 of the state's boards and commissions, ranging from the Ferry Advisory Committees to the Western State Hospital Advisory Board. She has asked the Legislature to cut an additional 34 boards and commissions by the time the session wraps up in April, and disband 65 more by the end of 2011.

"We must move now so the state can come out of the recession far more efficient and far more effective," she said. "What was good in 1940 or 1960 served a purpose. I think today offers a chance to re-evaluate government."

There are 470 boards and commissions in Washington, many composed of volunteers who get paid mileage and per-diem rates for their service, Gregoire said.

The proposal would not affect agricultural commissions or boards that regulate or govern, such as the Clemency and Pardons Board or the Public Disclosure Commission.

With the state facing more than $6 billion in budget shortfalls, Gregoire said it is imperative that state government be reshaped immediately.

The governor has been talking about cutting boards and commissions, as well as closing Department of Licensing offices, since her inaugural address last month.

Her plan would close 25 of the state's 66 Department of Licensing (DOL) offices and direct customers to "regional" DOL offices in Everett, Kent, Lynnwood, Renton, Spokane, Kennewick, Kirkland, Puyallup, South Tacoma and West Seattle.

The state would upgrade technology and expand hours of operation at those offices to serve larger crowds. Among other services, licensing offices are where people go to get driver's licenses.

Gregoire said the rising number of people who are renewing their vehicle tabs and seeking other DOL services online spurred the move. Employees at the offices that are closed would have an opportunity to work elsewhere at the agency.

Gregoire also proposed consolidating several departments in other agencies to cut costs. She would merge the Health Care Authority with the Department of Retirement Systems, and combine the Department of Archaeology & Historical Preservation with State Parks.

The governor said she's also considering merging the Department of Fish and Wildlife's law-enforcement branch with the State Patrol.

Gregoire said it is possible that some state employees could lose their jobs with her proposals, which are supported by both the Association of Washington Business and the Washington Federation of State Employees.

Many lawmakers also support the governor's plan, or at least most of it.

Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, said that much of Gregoire's proposal falls in line with what he has pushed for in the past.

"I found it fascinating that all of a sudden this was a huge revelation that we should do something to make government more responsive to business."

However, Armstrong said he and other Republicans object to closing DOL offices because many of them serve rural areas the lawmakers represent. He said it is a "hardship" to ask people to drive to larger cities for services.

Jennifer Sullivan: jensullivan@seattletimes.com or 360-236-8267.

Information in this article, originally published February 10, 2009 was corrected February 10, 2009. A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Rep. Mike Armstrong.