by Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard
November 21, 2024
Washington state Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson on Thursday named a veteran budget writer and policy analyst to serve as his director of the Office of Financial Management.
K.D. Chapman-See, the agency’s current legislative affairs liaison, will be the point person helping Ferguson fashion his first state spending plan in the shadow of a potential multi-billion dollar budget deficit.
Also Thursday, Ferguson started his search for new leaders of nine state agencies, including the departments of transportation, corrections, social and health services and ecology. Current directors of most of those agencies have already announced plans to step down or retire.
With Chapman-See, Ferguson tapped a skilled and respected analyst with experience in the executive and legislative branches of Washington state government.
Before joining Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget office, she worked more than a decade in the state House of Representatives as a policy director and as a senior analyst for operating budget and tax policy for the House Democratic Caucus, according to Ferguson’s transition team.
“K.D. brings tremendous talent and expertise to this critical position in state government,” Ferguson said in a statement. “She understands the budget challenges facing the state, and I look forward to working with her to deliver efficient, effective government.”
Those budget challenges will be significant as Ferguson begins his term.
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State tax revenues are not keeping pace with the rising costs of current and promised programs. Inslee and his budget director, Pat Sullivan, have warned the gap is around $12 billion over the next four-plus fiscal years and directed state agencies to identify potential cuts.
Some ideas for what to trim may wind up in Inslee’s proposed budget for the 2025-27 biennium. So too may some ideas for raising additional revenue. The budget proposal is due out in mid-December and will be a template for Ferguson and state lawmakers when they craft final budgets in the 2025 legislative session.
While Ferguson has not commented publicly about the state’s budget situation, Democratic legislators have said they expect to consider spending reductions and new revenue sources to erase the shortfall.
Chapman-See will assume her new role on Jan. 15 and be part of Ferguson’s executive leadership team.
She will succeed Sullivan, a former state lawmaker who was appointed director of the Office of Financial Management in July when David Schumacher, Inslee’s longtime budget director, departed.
“I am deeply grateful to Pat Sullivan for his leadership during this challenging time as he develops Governor Inslee’s final budget,” Ferguson said. “He is an outstanding public servant who puts the needs of Washingtonians first.”
Other agencies where Ferguson said he intends to hire new leaders include the Department of Children, Youth and Families, Department of Enterprise Services, the Health Care Authority, and Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs.
Directors of all but transportation and enterprise services had previously said they would be leaving. Enterprise services manages state buildings and vehicle fleets, among other responsibilities.
Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar told the Washington State Standard in a recent interview that he hoped to stay on in the new administration. He informed Department of Transportation employees Thursday afternoon that his last day will be Jan. 15.
“Leading this agency has been a true highlight of my life personally and professionally,” he wrote in an email. “Because of you WSDOT is one of the most innovative, effective and consequential departments of transportation in the world.”
In the release, Ferguson said he is evaluating the leadership of other cabinet agencies and will provide an update next week. Those interested in applying for a leadership position or serving on a board or commission can do so online through a newly launched web portal.
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