Supervisors this week voted 3-2 to recommend the county administrative officer begin the necessary steps to eliminate nearly 30 positions from the budget.
Supervisors Jerry Muenzer, Robert Rivas and Margie Barrios approved the potential layoffs while giving CAO Rich Inman direction to look into how the county can cut more from other departments to save a few positions in public safety.
“Layoffs are inevitable,” Barrios said. “What we have been able to look at is not bringing the millions of dollars needed.”
Rivas serves on the budget committee with Barrios.
“We need to fill a large gap this fiscal year,” Rivas said. “We have less money and we have no choice but to make our county small. We don’t have a choice … we need to cut where the money is largest and that is employee salaries.”
Supervisors have faced continual budget deficits over the past several years, with a gap of up to $5.5 million expected in 2012-13. They agreed to hold a June 12 meeting to further discuss budget issues and to make adjustments to the list they recommended on Tuesday. The layoff process takes about 30 days.
“This is more for notification purposes and doesn’t mean we cannot come back to add or reduce it,” Barrios said. “This is only direction for the CAO to move forward and follow the letter of the law.”
Supervisors Anthony Botelho and Jaime De La Cruz voted against recommending the layoffs. Botelho said he was uncomfortable making the decision without having all the numbers in front of him.
“I would like to see something in writing,” Botelho said, of the savings from the proposed layoffs. “Public safety is a big chunk of the services (to be eliminated.) I would like to look at other cost savings, such as a brownout for the last month of the year in non-essential departments.”
Inman said departments relying on the general fund were asked to cut a percentage from their budget in proportion with their relative size. The layoffs and other concessions represent $3.1 million in cuts.
District Attorney Candice Hooper, Chief Probation Office Brent Cardall, Jail Commander Edward Escamilla, County Librarian Nora Conte, Auditor Joe Paul Gonzalez and Public Works Administrator Steve Wittry all made comments on how the changes will hurt their departments.
Barrios said the budget committee also considered lowering the car allowance for department heads from $500 a month to $350 a month for a savings of $19,800. The supervisors recommended it 3-2, with De La Cruz and Botelho voting against it.
The committee also suggested lowering the county’s contribution to the Economic Development Corp. by $8,000 to $42,000. It was approved 3-2, with Botelho saying he wants to eliminate the funding.
The supervisors also recommended cutting the contribution to community-based organizations from $80,000 to $67,200, with De La Cruz and Botelho voting against it.
