WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Following public outcry from an open letter he posted on social media Thursday morning, Walla Walla County Sheriff Mark Crider stepped back on his position about reopening the economy.

Reopening should be done in a safe and productive manner rather than every business at once, Crider said Thursday afternoon.

He said his statement, posted first on the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office social media page just before 9:30 a.m., did not fully match his intentions.

He clarified Thursday afternoon opening local operations should be a process coordinated with county health officials.

But while his letter, indeed, calls for opening “in a safe and productive manner,” Crider also wrote his encouragement to Walla Walla County commissioners to join Benton and Franklin counties in opening. Commissioners for the latter county earlier this week voted to “end recognition” of Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. In a special meeting Thursday, the three-member commission rolled back their resolution in a split vote.

Crider’s letter was jaw-dropping for many who voiced concern as Walla Walla County’s COVID-19 infection numbers continue to climb. Some said they no longer supported Crider and others said he should follow his previous statement on other matters: “We don’t get to pick and choose the laws we follow.”

Crider said on Thursday that businesses, such as landscaping and construction firms, ought to open since workers don’t have to be in proximity of each other.

“I’m not talking about wholesale, everybody can go back to work,” he said.

But Liz Jessee, county emergency management director and acting public information officer for the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health, discouraged any businesses from reopening with the county’s infection rate still rising. As of Thursday afternoon, the county had 51 positive cases confirmed. Fifteen of those are people who have recovered. But the number of cases has doubled over the last week alone.

Meghan DeBolt, Walla Walla County Department of Community Health director, said about two weeks are needed to ensure her team is ready for a possible onslaught of cases. That includes adding a nurse next week, she said.

“I’m just as eager to get things running,” DeBolt said.

But that means having guidelines in place for how it happens safely, she said.

Crider’s suggestion of landscaping and construction businesses opening could work in a few weeks, she said, as long as the stores those businesses rely upon, such as Home Depot, could work safely.

She reinforced Inslee’s idea that solutions to “dial back quickly” are needed.

County Commissioner Gregory Tompkins in a letter to citizens Thursday said commissioners have been working with the governor to “reopen Washington State in a responsible and timely manner, to ensure a safe return to public life.” He also said he understood the community’s wish to “return to normal” and the “inequities that exist in allowing certain functions to continue as essential” while others were prohibited.

“We are disappointed in the governor’s recent press conference, and strongly encourage his office to develop a detailed plan to reopen the state that takes into account the local conditions that exist across our state,” he wrote.

But Tompkins said commissioners do not have legal authority to override the governor’s stay-home order. He urged those with questions and concerns regarding the governor’s order to contact the governor’s office.

The loss of revenue from businesses is being felt by local governments.

County departments are looking at 5% to 10% cuts, depending on how long the stay-home order continues.

Commissioners haven’t made a final decision on countywide cutbacks or when departments should mak them.

Crider said 5% for him is $232,595 from his roughly $4.7 million budget. After payroll, benefits and services his discretionary budget is at $188,059.

That means he could be forced to cut positions or hours. Instead of 24-hour coverage, the 1,300-square-mile county would have between 16-20 hours of service, Crider said.

Crider said one of his options for making just part of a 5% cut would be to not replace Sgt. Robin Frisvold when he retires at the end of the month until January. It would save about $96,000, which were his pay and benefits, but that would leave the sheriff’s office understaffed. He said his office has 36 people, including road deputies, detectives, and command staff administration.

Even though opening could place people in danger of catching COVID-19, Crider said no one here has died yet. He said people likely would, but the county’s infection rate is rather low.

Jessee urged citizens to follow the governor’s order and practice health guidelines by washing their hands, isolating at home when sick, and practicing physical distancing. She also said she didn’t want to get into the middle of what appeared to be budget talks between the county commissioners and the sheriff.

“We just need to be thoughtful about it,” DeBolt added of reopening. “It’s better to turn on the dial slowly, open certain sectors. It’s going to be really hard to turn back quickly if we’re not prepared.”

“We want to be the solution,” she said. “We can figure it out together.”