Besides today’s bombshell during budget hearings when
supervisors considered closing the local library, officials have
made several important decisions in preparation for a final budget
approval later this month. Among 12 layoffs given a preliminary OK,
supervisors agreed to cut the undersheriff role.
Besides today’s bombshell during budget hearings when supervisors considered closing the local library, officials have made several important decisions in preparation for a final budget approval later this month.
Below is a roundup of some of the other, preliminary decisions made by supervisors before a planned budget adoption Aug. 24. They are trying to fill a $9.4 million deficit. In total, supervisors agreed to use $5 million carried over from the prior fiscal year and another $3.7 million in reserves to offset the shortfall.
Supervisors agreed to do the following:
– Cut the undersheriff position, currently held by Pat Turturici, who is running for sheriff in November
– Consider laying off an assistant county administrative officer directly under the chief administrator, Susan Thompson, who is retiring from the county role in the coming months
– Direct the staff to work with the district attorney to eliminate an administrative assistant’s role
– Deny the Economic Development Corp.’s request for an additional $20,000 annually on top of the current $50,000 allocation. Supervisor Margie Barrios told staff members, meanwhile, to make a special note how she dissented on the decision.
– Donate $5,000 to two different nonprofit organizations – Advocacy, Inc., and Jovenes de Antano, due to matching funds from the outside funneling back to those groups – on top of the scheduled $70,658 to seven nonprofits recommended by the Community Foundation
– Deny the elections office an allocation for software to analyze local candidates’ filings
– Direct the county administrative officer to cut 30 percent from the $273,000 travel budget
– Authorize the assessor’s office to hire an additional assessor due to a severe backlog on reassessments
– Direct staff to examine using $3 million to buy an existing building for a relocated sheriff’s office and planning department, instead of using funds to build from the ground up
– As a whole, plans call for 12 layoffs.
Additionally, supervisors had considered calling off an outside search for a new county administrative officer to replace Thompson. During Thursday’s hearing, Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz made the motion to call it off in hopes of potentially hiring from the inside. Supervisors voted 3-2 in favor of that motion.
Today, however, De La Cruz called for supervisors to reconsider the item, while motioning to remove the approval from the prior day. Supervisors approved the motion to remove the reduction and continue on with an outside search.
Look back for more on this story.
