SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Tacoma city employee office remodel $14,000, Dori Monson office remodel $0
Jan 11, 2012, 9:32 AM | Updated: 11:06 am
Dori Monson made the most of found objects in his office remodel. (MyNorthwest.com/Jamie Griswold)
(MyNorthwest.com/Jamie Griswold)
 Dori Monson got creative with his office remodel (MyNorthwest.com/Jamie Griswold) |
At the news of a Tacoma city employee spending $14,000 on an office remodel, 97.3 KIRO FM’s Dori Monson drew a parallel to his recent move to a new office at his work.
“This is a subject you and I can relate to, Jake,” Monson said to his producer. “Because about two months ago our Program Director came to us and said, ‘We’re kicking you out of your desk. We’re doing a big newsroom remodel.'”
Monson wasn’t excited about the move.
“I had this kind of sweet window cubicle. There were only four window cubicles in the building and Dave Ross had one, I had one, because we’ve been around the longest,” said Monson. “I didn’t like losing my little cubicle.”
Listen to discussion: Tacoma remodel $14,000, Dori remodel $0
When they asked where they’d be moving to, their Program Director told them there wasn’t a set place yet. But the show must go on, so producer Jake scoured the building and found an office in the basement.
There were two abandoned desks nearby.
“They were throwing them out. We got a couple of desks they were going to throw out, that’s it, that’s the office,” said Monson. “They’re not going to give us any money.”
According to a KING TV report, the $14, 000 spent on the remodel of Tacoma’s Human Rights Director Linda Bremer’s office reportedly came from $15,000 in discretionary funds allotted to Tacoma Department Heads, so did not require any approval.
The cost reportedly included a new desk and bookcases built by city carpenters.
“They have a carpenter build bookcases custom, in this economy. Are you kidding me?” said Monson, who says he bought a fantastic desk unit for his home office at Costco.
“My point is, we spent nothing,” said Monson. “In Tacoma, they’re in the middle of a city budget shortfall, they’re making lots of layoffs. Her department made a layoff last year. They’re facing cuts, but they had $14,000 to remodel the office of the woman in charge. Let them eat cake!”
Read more:
Layoffs still threaten Tacoma police, firefighters
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By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor
