Sharing Strategies for Working Together: CLARK COUNTY, WASHINGTON BUDGET DEPARTMENT.

• Author: Ludwig, Katie
• Position: FINANCE

Clark County, with a population of nearly 500,000 people, is located in southwest Washington just across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon. The county has approximately 1,700 full-time equivalent positions, and many employees, including those in the county's Budget Office, have been working remotely since March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emily Zwetzig is Clark County's budget director. She started out with the county as a budget analyst and was promoted to her current position approximately three years ago. Before coming to the Budget Office, Emily worked in Clark County's District Court for a few years, and before that she worked for Clackamas County, Oregon, for more than ten years.

The Budget Office is made up of five full-time employees. Three of the current team members started in the latter half of 2021, as the Budget Office hasn't been immune to the increased staff turnover that many local governments are experiencing lately. The team acknowledges the challenges associated with working remotely but believes that their office's collaborative culture has positioned them for success. In a recent conversation, they spoke about the benefits of internal collaboration as well as collaboration with other departments throughout the county.

"You wouldn't think it when you think about finance, but relationships are probably the most important for what we do," said Emily.

"Building rapport with people is harder now that we're remote, but it can be done," said Lisa Boman, a financial program manager II in the Budget Office. "We just have to get to know people and make that bond." Lisa has been with the county's Budget Office for nearly 25 years, starting shortly after it was created. She said she doesn't consider herself very good at public speaking, but a big part of creating a bond with people is stepping outside your comfort zone and "not being afraid to talk."

Lisa explained that her primary role is to administer and maintain Questica, the budget software system the county has implemented. She's also responsible for calculating and projecting costs associated with positions.

"Lisa has stepped in to be what we call our Questica administrator. She's the overarching expert of the whole entire system, but we realized that she was going to need some additional support," explained Emily. To provide it, the Budget Office hired Cherie Sahug in September 2021. Cherie has been employed with Clark County since 2006. She'd had a financial role with the Public Works Department since 2007, and before that she worked in the Auditor's Office Recording Department.

Emily cited the county's Questica implementation in 2019 as a good example of successful collaboration. "It was a county wide effort. All departments not only implemented the system, but also tested it. That project required everybody," she said.

Lisa noted that while the...