The Great County Budget Squeeze of 1893
Facing a sudden economic downturn, the county board orders sweeping layoffs, but local auditors are digging in their heels.
Economizing seems to be the fashion at the present time, and the board of county commissioners intends to be in the swim. At Monday evening's session, a resolution was adopted ordering a reduction in the number of deputies, assistants, and clerks in various county offices. The county clerk is ordered to reduce his force by four, the auditor by three, the treasurer by three, and the sheriff by three. The order came like a thunderclap upon the force of clerks who had hoped the government would be immune to the 'hard times.' However, Auditor Twichell refuses to comply, stating he is under $40,000 bond to ensure the work is done properly and that he has already reduced his force as much as public business permits.
“The order of the board came like a thunder clap upon the force of clerks who had congratulated themselves that hard times rarely made itself felt in the public service.”
Budget austerity measures remain a central point of civic contention in Seattle. The 1893 panic, which saw offices scrambling to cut staff to the bone, parallels modern fiscal crises where public services struggle to reconcile budgetary constraints with mandatory workloads.
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