Sacramento County Budget Crisis

County fears state may take local social services, public safety funds

2009-06-05T04:36:11Z

Sacramento County’s public safety and social service programs will be harmed if the state advances a proposal to borrow $2 billion from local governments, according to county spokesman Zeke Holst.

The county is planning cuts to close its own $180 million budget gap.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed borrowing property tax revenues from local governments as one of many ways to address the state’s $24.3 billion deficit. Holst noted that Sacramento County’s portion of the $2 billion would be $32 million.

Lending $32 million in county revenues to the state “would directly impact public safety and social programs,” Holst said. “We are watching the state very closely to see what they are planning to do so that we can be better prepared to adjust our services to our communities and minimize the impact of the loss of services.”

In order for Schwarzenegger’s proposal to be enacted, the state Legislature must approve it with a two-thirds vote. California Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said it gives Schwarzenegger "no pleasure" to propose to borrow from local governments.

Palmer noted that Schwarzenegger supported local government authority and the 2004 initiative Proposition 1A, which voters approved. That proposition ensures that local governments maintain control over their property and sales tax revenues.

However, the proposition enables the state to borrow the local government funds in a fiscal crisis. The proposition says the state must reimburse local governments with interest within three years.

The governor made the proposal because of the “severe recession,” Palmer said.

The city of Sacramento would also be affected by Schwarzenegger’s plan. Mayor Kevin Johnson said recently that the city could dedicate up to $12 million in “risk funds” to the state. City staffers wrote in a May 22 report that these funds “are reserved to cover city liability settlements over the life of a claimant.”

Sacramento County expects to release its proposed budget Friday, June 5.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County Health Department: Budget cuts would harm children, AIDS patients

2009-05-15T05:24:56Z

In the second day of workshops on Sacramento County’s budget crisis, county officials continued to present harsh statistics on how proposed budget cuts would seriously harm residents’ quality of life.

The acting director of the county’s Health and Human Services Department Thursday said the budget cuts could create a series of problems, ranging from the shuttering of a parenting program for low-income people to a possible rise in the number of HIV/AIDS cases.

The county is examining possible cuts to confront a $180 million budget deficit.

About 250 people packed the county Board of Supervisors’ chambers Thursday morning, according to an estimate from Ken McIntosh, a county facility security operations supervisor. He estimated that another 80 people were watching the workshop on televisions just outside the hearing room.

Ann Edwards-Buckley, acting director of the county’s department of Health and Human Services, said in her presentation that staffing cuts would stop the county from providing HIV/AIDS education and prevention services for high-risk residents. Her presentation connected budget cuts to these services to a potential rise in HIV/AIDS cases.

“Elimination of HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention to 5,500 high risk individuals resulting in an increase in HIV/AIDS cases,” her presentation noted.

The health and human services department would face a total reduction of $15.7 million and need to lay off 120 people, according to Edwards-Buckley.

During the workshop, county residents and advocates for a variety of groups expressed anxiety and fear about the county’s budget crisis.

Several speakers spoke in favor of preserving the parenting program, Birth & Beyond.

A woman seated in the audience held up a sign supporting Birth & Beyond that read: “Don’t let our babies die.”

Sheila Boxley, president of the North Highlands-based Child Abuse Prevention Center, urged supervisors to save Birth & Beyond’s funding. “Demand has increased dramatically,” she said.

Boxley noted that she would come before the supervisors in June to address a report on child fatalities, saying that cuts to Birth & Beyond’s funding could lead to deaths of children. “I can’t fathom what (the child fatality report) would be like a year from now if that program goes away,” she said.

The audience applauded Boxley’s remarks.

Edwards-Buckley emphasized the importance of Birth & Beyond.

“These services are key strategies in the prevention and/or reduction of child abuse and neglect,” according to her presentation.

Edwards-Buckley’s presentation also noted that the budget cuts to the public health division would mean that dental services would not be performed for 12,530 cavities in children’s teeth.

Topics that will be discussed in Friday’s budget workshop include general government departments, internal services departments, and animal care and regulation.

Areas that fall under general government include the county assessor, human rights and fair housing, the transient occupancy tax, neighborhood services, county planning, voter registration and elections. The May 15 workshop begins at 9:30 a.m. at 700 H St.

The county’s proposed budget is tentatively scheduled to be released June 5. County supervisors are scheduled to consider and enact the budget June 15, June 17 and June 18.

County finances still in trouble

2009-07-28T03:34:10Z

Sacramento County continues to be hammered by the failing local and state economy and now faces a $17.8 million hole in its budget because the county is receiving much less money from sales taxes, property taxes and vehicle license fees, according to a letter County Executive Terry Schutten prepared for the Board of Supervisors’ July 28 meeting.

The $17.8 million gap is only part of the county’s budget mess and does not account for funds the state may take or borrow from the county. Taking and borrowing funds from local governments is part of the state’s budget package. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may sign the state budget Tuesday.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors also wants to find a way to put $10 million toward hiring 70 deputy sheriffs.

“Instead of a piecemeal approach to making corrections for the above shortfalls and the additional funding for the 70 sheriff’s deputies, the county executive is recommending that all these issues be dealt with during the final budget hearings,” Schutten wrote.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to approve a final budget Sept. 29.

Schutten’s letter breaks down the county’s latest figures for property and sales taxes and vehicle license fees. The $17.8 million gap comes from the following sources:

*$5.3 less in estimated sales tax collections.
*$2.3 million less in estimated property tax collections.
*$4.8 million less in local public safety funds, which come from sales taxes.
*$5.4 million less in “realignment revenue,” which comes from sales taxes and vehicle license fees.

Read Schutten’s letter here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County cuts budget of group that promotes region

2009-10-13T03:36:15Z

The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau is promoting the city and county at fewer trade shows in part because of recent budget cuts from the county government, according to bureau spokesman Mike Testa. The county dedicated $244,000 to the bureau for the 2009 / 2010 fiscal year, down from $404,000 it allocated to the group last year.

In 2007, the county gave $704,000 to the bureau, Testa said.

The bureau’s main responsibility is to attract visitors to stay at hotels in the Sacramento area, Testa said. He pointed out that the county will receive less revenue as a result of its cuts to the bureau. Of its four funding sources, the bureau receives the lowest amount of funding from the county, according to Testa.

The bureau is funded by the city and county governments, fees assessed on hotel guests, private sponsorships and revenue from events, he said. The city also has scaled back its funding, and revenue to the bureau from hotel fees has dropped. The total of budget cuts from the city and county and lower hotel fees is about $750,000, Testa said.

Tourism contributed $2.4 billion to the local economy during the 2008 / 2009 fiscal year, Testa said. He also noted that the bureau returns $25 for every dollar invested by the city and county.

County leaders “really don’t have a choice” about many of the cuts they’re making, Testa said. But, he added, in the “big picture” view, the county will take in less money from by cutting funding to a revenue generator, he said. The bureau creates revenue for the county in “a time of economic turmoil,” Testa said.

The county definitely is in economic turmoil — officials have laid off more than 700 workers since July.

Rob Leonard, the county’s director of economic development, said the bureau supports activities more in the city than in the unincorporated areas of the county.

The county didn’t cut funding to the bureau entirely, Leonard pointed out. And a number of organizations received cuts equivalent to those of the bureau, he said.

“The role [the bureau] plays is clearly valued," Leonard said, "and we want to continue to support them.”

Testa said the county has been and remains a “good partner” with the bureau.

Although funding to the bureau from local governments and hotel fees is down, revenue to the bureau from sponsorships is up, Testa said. The bureau puts on special events that provide companies with the target audiences they’re looking for, he said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff writer for The Sacramento Press.

County homeless programs could face major cuts

2009-06-12T02:31:01Z

The director of the county department that works with the homeless population said Thursday that the department is still significantly hampered by the budget crisis even though county managers want to provide it with additional funding.

Bruce Wagstaff, director of Sacramento County’s Department of Human Assistance, told the Board of Supervisors the department is facing a general fund budget gap of $36.8 million and will no longer have the ability to fund 154 shelter beds for homeless people. Wagstaff presented his department’s outlook during the board’s third day of budget hearings on the county’s $180 million budget gap. A proposed budget for the 2009/2010 fiscal year may be approved by supervisors next week.

The social services presentations, which included DHA, attracted a crowd of more than 250 people Thursday morning. All seats in the auditorium were filled, and a second crowd filled additional seats that were set out in the lobby.

“While I am extremely appreciative of all the hard work that has gone into this -- to provide the reduced impact we’ve been able to come up with -- I am not here today to tell you we have fully addressed this reduction,” Wagstaff said.

The department continues to have a “very serious problem” that will lead to fewer services for homeless people, he said.

DHA’s general fund has been reduced about 38 percent over the last two years, Wagstaff said. Meanwhile, the department’s “case loads in every program are reaching unprecedented levels,” he said.

County officials are recommending that the board move $350,000 more to DHA’s budget. Wagstaff originally projected that the department would be forced to stop funding 328 shelter beds. DHA, with the help of other county departments and stakeholders, was able to restore 174 beds. But that still leaves 154 shelter beds in the county that will disappear, according to Wagstaff.

The department also plans to lay off 40 employees, according to its most recent count.

After Wagstaff’s presentation, Supervisor Susan Peters said that there were so many people who wanted to speak that testimony from the public could take more than three hours.

Valerie Feldman, acting managing attorney for Legal Services of Northern California, was one of many speakers who opposed cuts on county programs that help the homeless.

“At the time of the greatest need, this is not the time to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable,” Feldman said.

County managers protest suggested budget cut

2009-09-12T01:56:39Z

Sacramento County managers are strongly opposing a suggestion from Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli to cut a benefit that helps employees save money for retirement. A representative from the Sacramento County Management Association (SCMA) told the Board of Supervisors on Friday that managers are making sacrifices to assist the county, and are not being treated fairly.

“We keep hearing by public comment that managers need to take more cuts,” said Sue Elliott, acting president of SCMA. “Yet, we feel we have done our part.”

Elliott made her remarks during the board’s fourth day of final budget hearings. The most recently updated figure for the county’s budget deficit is $68 million. Unions are vehemently protesting the the county’s plan to lay off 350 employees. In addition to the layoffs, the board has said it plans to cut 16 hours per month from the workload of county employees who are represented by unions.

The county's final decisions are expected on Sept. 16.

Elliott told the board that managers’ concessions include furlough days and the elimination of a cost-of-living pay increase. The 2.9 percent cost-of-living raise for managers was cut for the 2009/2010 fiscal year, she said.

Nottoli suggested Thursday that the board consider cutting the deferred compensation benefit for managers. Elliott said the benefit costs about $1.1 million annually, with $335,000 coming out of the general fund.

Elliott said that managers were being treated unfairly by the board, noting that employees represented by the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and the Sacramento County Probation Association maintained their cost-of-living increases. She acknowledged that sheriff’s deputies and probation employees “put their lives on the line,” but contended there is unequal treatment among employee groups.

Elliott made her remarks the day after the executive director of United Public Employees Local 1 said the county was cutting rank-and-file workers while keeping jobs for officials. “You’re too top-heavy,” Ted Somera said in comments to the board. “You have too many chiefs.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Deputy Sheriff's Association: Budget cuts hurt response times

2009-10-09T01:37:27Z

Emergency call response times will suffer as a result of the nearly $1 million in budget cuts facing the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, according to the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

When the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved the county's budget on Friday, it resolved a shortfall of $76 million. The county made major budget cuts to its programs and departments — including the Sheriff’s Department — and has laid off more than 700 employees since July.

The Sheriff’s Department will not face layoffs. However, the cuts will result in more vacancies for deputy positions at the department, said Kevin Mickelson, president of the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

To pare down its budget to make the $987,000 in cuts, the department will need to create four more deputy vacancies, Mickelson said. The vacancies will be achieved through attrition. This means that when four deputies retire, resign or are terminated, the department will keep four open deputy positions, he explained.

Right now, the department has six deputy vacancies and one sheriff’s security officer vacancy, he said, noting that he additional four vacancies would create a total of 10 vacant deputy positions. The vacancies would bring down the number of deputies to 231 from 241, Mickelson said.

The department’s response time to critical calls will become longer as a result of the vacancies, Mickelson said. “There’s no way two ways about it,” he added.

Mickelson blamed the Board of Supervisors for making cuts to the Sheriff’s Department while providing funding to programs that cover the arts and the American River Parkway. “At some point in time, the Board of Supervisors needs to make public safety their No. 1 obligation,” Mickelson told The Sacramento Press.

The Board of Supervisors uses a list of priorities when it makes budget decisions. Law enforcement is the board’s first priority after it addresses mandated services and its debts, according to county documents.

Mickelson questions whether the board is truly making public safety its first priority.

But county officials view the issue differently.

Responding to Mickelson’s criticism, county spokesman Zeke Holst noted that the Board of Supervisors restored funding to the Sheriff’s Department in June. “At [the] proposed budget in June, the Board of Supervisors approved the restoration of $12.5 million to the Sheriff’s Department budget. Also, at this time, the board approved the concessions from the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of $10.6 million.”

Holst also pointed out that the supervisors made another restoration, of nearly $2 million, to the Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 2.

Betsy Braziel, a county communications officer, wrote in an Oct. 2 press release: “Board members reinforced their commitment to making public safety and protection of children their highest spending priorities.”

While the board restored funding to Child Protective Services, it also approved 186 layoffs to that agency.

Sacramento County needed to make its most recent $987,000 cut to the Sheriff’s Department because the county lost revenues from sales taxes that are collected statewide and then doled out to local governments for public safety purposes, County Executive Terry Schutten said last month.

During recent budget hearings Supervisor Jimmie Yee expressed concern for cuts to county social services while saying that the board has been supporting law enforcement with funding.

Yee addressed Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Mark Iwasa on the issue of funding during a Sept. 16 hearing. “I just want you to be aware that, hey, we’re struggling to find funds to keep you whole. But at the same, we have to look at the broad picture of the county, too.”

Yee added that the Sheriff’s Department is “not the only thing here.”

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

District Attorney: budget crisis means justice won't be served

2009-05-14T03:02:32Z

Elder abuse. Major narcotics. Community prosecution.

These are just a few of the key units in the county district attorney’s office that would be eliminated if the office has to make $13.1 million more in cuts to help balance the county’s budget.

Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully gave the Board of Supervisors a dire outlook Wednesday of how the public would suffer from proposed cuts to the D.A.’s office.

The county’s most recent figure for its budget deficit is $180 million, said Kerri Aiello, a county public information officer.

“Rest assured, with these kind of cuts, if I have to close a $13.1 million gap, justice is not going to be served in this community,” Scully said.

The department would need to make 109 layoffs and remove entire units to fill the $13.1 million hole, she said.

Units that would be entirely removed include major narcotics, community prosecution, special investigation, statutory rape, elder abuse and child abduction.

Scully said other units that would not be eliminated but have already been cut or will be cut include homicides, gangs, domestic violence, adult sexual assault, victim witness advocates, juvenile hall, and special assault and child abuse.

“It’s not a pretty picture,” Scully said.

She explained that the D.A.’s child abduction unit prosecutes cases in which a non-custodial parent violates the law by taking a child from the custodial parent. The proposed budget cuts mean that those particular child abduction cases “likely would not be prosecuted,” Scully said.

She told the county supervisors that serious or violent cases under the major narcotics unit would still be prosecuted by the D.A.’s office. However, she noted that cases involving major narcotics would be folded into a “general felony” category. This means that a major narcotics case “now becomes one case in a caseload of a smorgasbord of crimes,” she said.

Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan asked Scully if she has reason to believe the D.A.’s office would receive federal stimulus funding.

Scully said the office has applied for $10 million in federal stimulus dollars. However, she explained outside the meeting that the she didn’t think it was likely the office would be awarded the entire amount for which it applied. She said the stimulus funds were “too uncertain.”

Two more workshops on the county’s budget crisis will be held this week at the Board of Supervisor’s chambers at 700 H St. Workshops on both Thursday, May 14, and Friday, May 15, will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Here’s a breakdown from Scully on the 109 layoffs:
46 attorneys

18 investigators
6 victim advocates
12 investigative staff
3 criminalists
24 support staffers

Q&A: County official describes social services cuts

2009-07-17T04:15:30Z

With Sacramento County’s approval of major budget cuts in June, how have things changed for the county department that works with the homeless and other low-income populations?

The Sacramento Press sat down with Bruce Wagstaff, director of the county’s Department of Human Assistance, to ask him how the budget cuts have affected the department and its work. Wagstaff provided details about the cuts and DHA’s role to manage homeless shelter beds.

He is also concerned about possible state budget cuts that could harm DHA.

Sacramento Press: Can you briefly explain the purpose of DHA?

Bruce Wagstaff: It provides services for the lowest-income individuals in our county through public assistance programs like CalWorks, Medi-Cal, food stamps. We also do homeless assistance programs. We do senior nutrition.

With the economy being what it is, our data suggests that we touch -- through our various programs, one way or the other -- one out of every four residents of this county. And that’s kind of staggering, when you think about it. You go into our intake offices...and you’re seeing the effects of the economy firsthand. Caseloads are going way up. Our intake offices are really crowded. We’re also having to close some of our sites because of our budget reductions.

SP: A total of 154 shelter beds were cut when the Board of Supervisors adopted the county budget on June 17. Has anything changed since then?

BW: Frankly, due to the result of some really legendary work that folks did to try to address this -- notwithstanding any further cuts that might come down -- we have found a way to essentially mitigate the impact of the reductions on the shelters. It’s by doing several things: [One of the things is] looking at the stimulus dollars. [DHA is also able to mitigate the impact of the reductions on shelters] because the board gave us some money. The board gave us some economic development funds. Plus, we moved money around within the existing system.

The nutshell is this: On the shelter side, we think that we’ve been able to mitigate the reduction on the shelters. Where we have a hole, frankly, is in the winter shelter. So, here’s the deal: If we were to continue the winter shelter at Cal Expo, we think we have enough funding for one month. And we haven’t decided what month that would be. However, we have to have more discussions because we may decide, let’s do it somewhere else besides Cal/Expo.

I’m hopeful that by the time the winter comes along, we’ll be able to say something different, pending further cuts. This is not a done deal yet. Plus, we’re waiting to see what happens at the state level. My department is very heavily impacted by what happens at the state level. I just have to emphasize [that] further cuts could be coming. Among other things, the [Board of Supervisors] is looking to find $10 million to give to the sheriff. I am saying: I don’t know where [the $10 million] is going to come from. So, we’ll have to see. But I’m just very pleased the description I’m giving right now is much different than when we went into this.

But I’m pleased to say that the Mather Children’s Services program -- which was going to be totally eliminated -- will not be. It will probably be operating at a reduced level -- pending further cuts.

SP: Can you explain overall how your department was affected by the recent cuts?

BW: We certainly have been impacted. The homeless area is a big one. We also had to make significant reductions in our General Assistance program. General Assistance is for, largely, single adults who aren’t eligible for other public assistance programs. We reduced the amount of cash that those clients will get. The department has also had major staffing reductions at the same time that caseloads are growing to unprecedented levels that we’ve had to adjust to.

SP: How many staffers?

BW: Twenty-five people will be laid off. But on top of that, we’ve unfunded close to 200 positions that were left vacant. So basically, we put a hiring freeze on the department last year. And those positions have been unfunded, basically. So, it’s not just the people being laid off -- which is very unfortunate. I wish that number [of layoffs] could have been zero. But also, we lost all these positions. By doing that, we kept our layoff numbers down. So, that’s certainly been an impact.

In my department, only about 7 percent of the funding comes from the county. So, when we have to take big cuts in the county general fund, they’re focused in a relatively narrow part of the department. So, a lot of my public assistance money, for CalWorks and Medi-Cal and things like that, comes from the state and the [federal government]. So, when they ask me to take general fund reductions, it’s in homeless programs, in senior nutrition, in volunteer programs.

We’re also waiting to see what the state does because there have been major reductions proposed in the CalWorks program, and that could affect us hugely.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

154 shelter beds slashed in county budget cuts

2009-06-26T02:29:03Z

Concerns raised earlier this month about a lack of funding for shelter beds have become reality: Budget cuts to the county’s Department of Human Assistance (DHA) mean there will be 154 fewer shelter beds for homeless people during most of the year, according to DHA spokeswoman Lucinda Serynek.

The Board of Supervisors on June 17 approved the county’s proposed budget with major cuts that addressed a $180 million shortfall. In September, a final budget will be adopted.

The 154 beds were not funded when the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved the county’s proposed budget. Serynek confirmed Wednesday that 154 beds won’t receive county funding for all but one month month in the 2009/2010 fiscal year, which starts July 1.

The county has enough funding for about a month at its winter shelter, Serynek explained. The county has $135,000 in federal funding to cover 154 shelter beds at Cal Expo for one month next winter, she said. The specific month has not been selected at this point.

DHA Director Bruce Wagstaff told the Board of Supervisors earlier this month that the department would not be able to cover the costs of 154 beds. The Supervisors were able to keep 174 of the original 328 beds with the help of other county departments and stakeholders.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Physicians, advocates concerned about planned county health cuts

2009-10-02T03:39:19Z

Health advocates and physicians made last-minute comments on Thursday opposing planned cuts to county public health programs. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, which faces a $76 million budget gap, is expected to approve a budget Friday with major cuts to programs.

The board’s final budget hearing for the 2009/2010 fiscal year will start at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at 700 H St. Earlier this month, the board approved layoffs for 300 county employees.

Zachary Hold, a primary-care physician, said additional proposed cuts to public health would lead to patient deaths. The cuts would also increase the amount of time patients would wait to see a medical professional, he said, pointing out that the wait times are already lengthy. Hold works as a physician part-time for the county in addition to his employment with the University of California, Davis. He noted that he was not speaking on behalf of UC Davis.

“I recently took care of a woman at the evening clinic who sounds like she’s been having little heart attacks for about two or three weeks,” Hold said. “And I wonder if she had gotten access in a more timely fashion -- three or four months ago even -- we would have been able to prevent her admission to Sutter, which is where she is right now.”

“There will be more deaths as a result of more cuts to the health system,” Hold noted.

Joseph Iser, director and public health officer of the Yolo County Department of Health, also raised concerns about the planned cuts. He said that proposed cuts to Sacramento County’s communicable disease program and public health laboratory would harm public health in nearby counties. Addressing the supervisors, he said that if the county is not able to administer tests to diagnose diseases or track foodborne illnesses, “you directly impact the health in your surrounding counties too.”

Photo credit: Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

World War II veteran urges county to fund veteran's center

2009-05-18T00:20:52Z

John Canfield is a World War II veteran who values Sacramento County’s contributions toward a veteran’s center on Stockton Boulevard.

But the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 67, of which Canfield is a member, faces difficult economic times.

The county, too, is in a financial crisis and faces a projected $180 million deficit. One of its numerous proposed cuts would halt $16, 476 in funding for VFW Post 67 during the 2009/2010 fiscal year.

Canfield, 85, told the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Thursday that the VFW post’s revenues have declined “drastically.” Many of the post’s members served in World War II and the Korean War, Canfield said, and these veterans are reaching the end of their lives.

“Most of us are, like me, 85-years-old,” Canfield said. “And death is taking its toll.”

Canfield also said that if the county drops funding for the VFW post, it sends the message that the county “does not appreciate the effort” of the young men and women serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and in other locations throughout the world.

He said he didn’t know the solution to the county’s situation, but he urged the county to consider the VFW post and “seriously consider what can be done.”

The veteran’s code requires that the county provide a meeting-place for veterans, Canfield noted.

The audience at Thursday’s county budget workshop -- estimated to be 250 people seated inside the Board of Supervisors’ chambers -- applauded Canfield’s remarks.

Canfield told The Sacramento Press that he served as a paratrooper with 82nd Airborne Division in World War II and has lived in Sacramento for more than 50 years.

The county’s budget is tentatively scheduled to be released June 5. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to evaluate and adopt the budget June 15, June 17 and June 18.

County avoided hundreds of layoffs

2009-07-23T04:11:05Z

Photo: Sheriff John McGinness

It still sounds bad: The county laid off more than 240 employees earlier this month. But it was supposed to be even worse: A total of 800 layoff notices were sent to county employees in June.

Though 800 pink slips were sent to employees in June, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and officials at county departments took steps to prevent several hundred of the planned layoffs, according to a county spokesman.

The county made major budget cuts to its departments and laid off 243 people to respond to its previous $180 million budget gap for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. The 243 figure does not account for layoffs at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office and at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

“After 800 letters were distributed, the Board or departments restored 293 positions due to various actions and rescinded those layoff notices,” County spokesman Zeke Holst explained. “That brought the total layoff notices down to 507. Of those, 197 transferred or demoted within their departments and 67 transferred or demoted to other departments.”

These actions lowered the number of layoffs to 243, Holst said. As late as July 1, Holst did not have an exact number for layoffs because county employees and managers were still figuring out how many people would lose jobs.

Meanwhile, the Sheriff's Department will lay off 209 sworn deputies and 40 other employees, Sgt. Tim Curran said. The last day of work for the Sheriff's Department employees facing layoffs will be Aug. 1.

Sheriff John McGinness acknowledged last month that he made an error when he crunched numbers for the numbers of layoffs at his department. When he corrected his error, he added about 80 more layoffs to the total.

The district attorney’s office is laying off 16 employees on Aug. 1, according to Shelly Orio, a spokeswoman for the office.

When the board of supervisors approved its proposed budget in June, the county still faced a $19 million budget gap in the state-mandated programs the county administers, according to Linda Foster-Hall, the county budget officer.

But the $19 million number “was a snapshot on June 17," Holst said. “Since that time, the number has fluctuated.”

Holst did not have a specific figure for the budget gap on July 20. County officials will present an update on the budget gap on Aug. 11, he said.

The county budget is now being affected in both positive and negative ways. “In a nutshell, we are in line to receive some federal dollars that will reduce the number [for the budget gap], which is good,” Holst said. “However, we are seeing a continued decrease in property tax and sales tax revenues.”

*Photo courtesy of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County approves budget, severe cuts include child services

2009-10-03T03:02:11Z

Severe budget cuts to Sacramento County programs and controversial layoffs for 186 employees in the Child Protective Services unit are part of the 2009/2010 fiscal year budget that was approved by the Board of Supervisors Friday. The county, which had faced an immense budget gap of $76 million, laid off 300 workers last month.

The total budget the supervisors approved is $4.2 billion. Around $1.9 billion of that total is the county’s general fund. More than 700 county employees have been laid off since July.

CPS has faced criticism from the county’s grand jury and MGT of America, Inc., a management consulting firm, over child fatalities. Ann Edwards-Buckley, director of the county’s Department of Health and Human Services, told The Sacramento Press outside the meeting that the cuts to CPS will harm children’s safety.

“As I've said before, I’m concerned about the welfare and safety of children in our community — that we won’t be able to do the same kinds of things that we’ve been able to do in the past,” Edwards-Buckley said. “So, kids may stay longer in foster care, waiting for family reunification. They may stay longer in an unsafe home.”

The entire budget was approved by four of the five supervisors.

Supervisor Roger Dickinson voted against significant parts of the budget including the general fund, saying the cuts harm the community. “I think this budget does not adequately consider our fiscal circumstances, either currently or for the future,” Dickinson said.

Approval of this budget means that the county would need to make deeper cuts in the upcoming years and “decimates” the county’s ability to protect important segments of the community, he said.

Dickinson is running for Assemblyman Dave Jones’ seat in 2010 against two current members of the Sacramento City Council, Lauren Hammond and Kevin McCarty.

The county’s contentious plan to shorten work schedules for about 7,000 employees represented by unions is still unresolved. The approved budget says that the the plan will go into effect if the supervisors do not pass a different plan on Oct. 20.

Dickinson voted against the proposal for shortened work schedules. “I’m not willing to be on record supporting that,” he said.

Photo of Roger Dickinson by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Homelessness: County aims to lessen blow of proposed cuts

2009-05-13T06:33:28Z

The county department that addresses homelessness hopes federal stimulus dollars will help lessen the blow of proposed cuts to its shelter programs, a county official said Tuesday.

Bruce Wagstaff, director of Sacramento County’s Department of Human Assistance, said the department is working with the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) on plans to alleviate the damage that would be caused if the Board of Supervisors approves proposed cuts.

Sacramento County is proposing to slash funding for three county shelters, which means about 300 beds for homeless people would be cut. The county is grappling with a $187 million deficit, while the city faces a $50 million budget gap.

“We don’t want to take a big step backwards,” Wagstaff told the Sacramento City Council at its Tuesday meeting.

After making his public comments, Wagstaff explained that the new Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP), funded by the federal stimulus package, might help the county’s situation if the Board of Supervisors makes cuts to shelters.

The federal dollars will be used for homeless people to rent housing and for prevention of homelessness.

While HPRP funds are not intended for expenses with shelters, the new federal stimulus funding may free up money in county pots that could be used to address the possible cuts to county shelters, Wagstaff said.

The county is proposing to slash 907 positions. This means that 640 people could be laid off, because the remaining positions are vacant.

County Spokesman Zeke Holst said Tuesday that the numbers of layoffs for the county could change because some county offices may soon announce new numbers.

The Board of Supervisors is holding workshops on the county’s budget crisis Wednesday, May 13, and Thursday, May 14.

Also on May 13, the board is scheduled to address the county’s HPRP application.

Sacramento’s city and county governments will receive about $4.8 million in HPRP funds. The city and county expect to each receive about $2.4 million.

Both local governments can obtain their federal funds Oct. 1 if the federal Housing and Urban Development department signs off on their applications.

Cindy Cavanaugh, assistant director for SHRA, said last month that the city and county are likely to receive the federal funds. She noted then that the city will continue to prepare its program after the application is turned in to HUD on May 18.

At its Tuesday meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the city’s application for the HPRP funding.

Council member Ray Tretheway pointed out that the city and county face good news about the stimulus money and bad news about the possible county cuts. “On the one hand, we’re doing this new intervention in housing,” he said. But on the other hand, the area is facing a “potential collapse” in its support system for homelessness.

Supervisors nix plan to cut employee work hours

2009-10-21T05:27:19Z

A highly controversial plan from county executives to shorten the work schedules of about 7,000 union-represented employees failed Tuesday when the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted it down.

Instead of adopting the contentious plan, which union officials had alleged was illegal, the supervisors decided to lay off 76 employees.

However, the 76 layoffs are not set in stone — the county is allowing room to lower that number through more negotiations with unions.

Sacramento County, which recently faced a $76-million shortfall, approved its budget earlier this month. More than 700 county employees have been laid off since July, according to county spokesman Zeke Holst. County officials cite the poor economy as the reason it is in a financial crisis.

Steve Keil, the county’s labor relations director, told The Sacramento Press outside the meeting that the 76 planned layoffs could change depending on the possibility of new concessions from unions.

“If we can get additional concessions, we will either not lay those people off or restore them after we lay them off,” Keil said.

The proposal rejected by the board would have cut 16 hours per month from employees represented by unions, according to county documents.

Ted Somera, executive director of United Public Employees Local 1, said he was frustrated with the day’s events. The union had fought against the plan to shorten work schedules.

With the controversial work hours plan no longer in the picture, the union will now negotiate with the county to lower numbers of layoffs, Somera said. The union wanted to negotiate about layoffs, but had to fight the work hours plan first, he noted.

“I’m frustrated because we’re back at ‘Square 1,’ ” Somera told The Sacramento Press.

All five supervisors spoke out against the proposal to shorten work schedules, which was formally called the “.908 plan.” Supervisor Jimmie Yee called it “a bad idea.”

The plan would have resulted in the county facing grievances and legal actions “with no certainty of the outcome,” said Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Tensions mount over county funding for public safety, social services

2009-06-11T02:46:36Z

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s testimony to the Board of Supervisors Wednesday revealed tensions over funding for the sheriff’s department and county human services programs, with Sheriff John McGinness saying that the county must put more funding toward public safety.

The county sheriff’s department told the board that planned cuts to the department would lead to major public safety problems. The sheriff’s department presented to the board in its second day of budget hearings to address a $180 million budget gap. Supervisors may approve a proposed budget next week.

McGinness said the planned $80 million in budget cuts to the department would mean that the “basic level of protection and security cannot be provided.” Proposed cuts would endanger the public, as well as discourage developers and business people from investing in the county, he said.

“How can the economic condition turn around in Sacramento County when the only thing a property owner can expect to get from their tax dollars is social services?” McGinness asked the board.

Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan asked county staffers to prepare a proposal that would fund the sheriff’s department with an additional $20 million. Supervisor Susan Peters also asked staffers to examine the possibility of more funding for the department.

The board uses a set of principles in its budgeting. Its first priority is to fund programs that are mandated by federal, state and county laws, according to the proposed budget document. The document notes that the county's other top priorities are to allocate money for programs "that provide for revenue collection" and to pay off county debts.

After the board addresses its top priorities, it uses a guide for its discretionary funding. Discretionary public safety tops the list, followed by social "safety net" services. Funding for programs that create a "sustainable and livable community" is the board's next goal. General government funding is the board's fourth focus. Prevention and intervention programs are the fifth and final priority.

The county’s proposed overall budget is $4.3 billion for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. The proposed general fund budget is $2.03 billion.

The board’s budget hearing on county social services departments begins at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. For more information, read The Sacramento Press’s guide to the county budget hearings.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County officials address sour economy, "structural deficit"

2009-06-10T05:06:04Z

Sacramento County officials began budget hearings Tuesday with an explanation of the county's poor financial state, noting that the county is expecting an ongoing pattern of poor sales tax revenues, among other problems. The county is also facing criticism about its budgeting practices from credit rating agencies, said Nav Gill, chief operations officer for the county.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is addressing a $180 million budget gap in budget hearings this week. Supervisors may approve a proposed budget next week. The county’s proposed overall budget is $4.3 billion for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. The proposed general fund budget is $2.03 billion.

“This budget is the most difficult one I have faced in my professional career,” said Sacramento County CEO Terry Schutten on Tuesday.

The poor economy has meant that county revenues from sales taxes and property taxes have fallen, Gill explained. He noted that the county has seen its revenues from sales tax dive, noting that the trend of poor sales tax returns “continues into the future.”

While the economy’s condition has meant decreased revenues for the county, credit rating agencies are launching criticism at the county's budgeting practices. Credit rating agencies have downgraded the county's credit rating, Gill said. The agencies are saying the county has a “structural deficit” because it has used one-time funds to balance budgets in the past, Gill said. They expect the county to balance its budget without using one-time funds, he also said.

The board will hold a hearing on county public safety budgets at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

A guide to Sacramento County budget hearings

2009-06-09T02:28:51Z

Sacramento County is holding hearings this week on proposed budget cuts to address a $180 million budget gap. The budget hearings are open to the public and will be held at the county Board of Supervisors’ chambers at 700 H St.

The proposed overall budget for the 2009/2010 fiscal year is $4.3 billion. Sacramento County’s general fund budget is $2.03 billion. The budget document explains that a large portion of the general fund consists of the county's general purpose funds. "All other funds in the county budget are financed with earmarked or restricted revenues," the document states.

A breakdown of the general fund is on page 9 of the budget’s introduction.

“We’re at a very challenging period of time where not only our revenues are down, but expenditures are up,” county spokesman Zeke Holst said.

The hearings begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday with an overview of the budget situation. County public safety budgets will be addressed at 2 p.m. Wednesday. The board will take up county social services funding on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Funding for several areas -- general government, municipal services, county assessor, retiree health and transient occupancy tax -- will be discussed Friday, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Indigent medical services will be addressed in a hearing at 2 p.m. June 11, and at a hearing at 2:15 p.m. June 16.

The county will make decisions on the proposed 2009/2010 budget next week. The board may adopt the proposed budget at 9:30 a.m. June 17.

Source: The Sacramento County budget document

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County budget hearing draws big protests; union calls for Schutten to step down

2009-09-11T03:46:01Z

It would be an understatement to use the word “passionate” to describe the emotions of the hundreds of people who gathered in the Board of Supervisors' chambers for Thursday's budget hearing. The word “livid” would best describe the mood of the crowd as elected officials considered making $48 million in cuts to county social services programs.

The supervisors are planning to cut more than 360 positions as they face a new budget gap of more than $54.5 million. In addition to the scores of planned layoffs, the board proposes cutting 16 hours per month from the workload of county employees who are represented by unions. The supervisors will hold another budget meeting tomorrow and are scheduled to decide the final budget on Sept. 16.

Supervisor Susan Peters said the county's finances are being harmed by the recession and state cutbacks. "Unfortunately, today's economic circumstances have not changed — again, due to the national and state economic decline," she said. "That's a cold, hard economic fact. And compounding that are cuts imposed upon us by the state of California."

Ted Somera, executive director of United Public Employees Local 1, told the board that the county was cutting rank-and-file workers while maintaining jobs for many officials.

“You’re too top-heavy,” he said. “You have too many chiefs.” Somera’s union alleges that the county’s plan is illegal.

Somera’s remarks received loud applause from the audience. When protesters of the cuts made their remarks to the board, audience members reacted loudly with applause and cheering. Some even exchanged high-fives.

Outside the doors of the board’s chambers at the County Administration Building, the United Public Employees Local 1 collected signatures from people who support firing County Executive Terry Schutten. The union said it had nearly 600 signatures by Thursday afternoon.

During the morning session, about 250 people filled the supervisors’ chambers. About 320 people attended the afternoon session, filling the chambers and packing into the overflow seating area in the lobby.

Supervisor Don Nottoli suggested the board consider cutting a deferred compensation benefit for managers, adding that he wanted to discuss the idea during budget deliberations. The benefit, which helps employees save for retirement, has a general fund cost of about $390,000 per year, he said.

“As we’re looking at this, I certainly want us to have that conversation,” Nottoli said. “And again, I know there’s sensitivity to it.” The crowd cheered in response to his suggestion.

Also Thursday, Ann Edwards-Buckley, the county’s director of Health and Human Services, delivered dismal news to the board about how the cuts would harm the Child Protective Services (CPS) program. CPS has faced criticism over child fatalities from both the county’s grand jury and MGT of America, Inc., a management consulting firm that reviewed the program.

The $14.9 million in cuts to CPS would create a “weakened infrastructure necessary to provide oversight, accountability and improvement as identified in the MFT and Grand Jury report,” according to Edwards-Buckley's presentation to the board.

Dominic Bobo, a 17-year-old who was in foster care since he was 7-years-old, urged the board not to cut jobs for social workers. At times, “life was just so stressful that sometimes I just wanted to stop,” he said. “But it was my social workers that helped to push me through and keep me going.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Pink slips going out to 800 county employees

2009-06-18T03:58:42Z

About 800 county employees could lose their jobs as a result of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors' approval of the proposed 2009/2010 budget Wednesday, according to Nav Gill, the county's chief operations officer.

Supervisors will approve a final budget for the fiscal year in September. The county must still resolve a $19 million budget gap in the state-mandated programs the county administers, according to Gill and county budget officer Linda Foster-Hall.

The budget process for the 2009/2010 fiscal year has been “a difficult task under extremely trying circumstances,” said Supervisor Susan Peters.

The county’s $19 million shortfall for state-mandated programs is affected by the state’s budget. The state is currently facing a $24.3 billion budget gap.

While the pink slips are being sent to employees this week, the layoff numbers could soon change. That’s because the county has completed labor negotiations with only one of its unions.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the board’s key decisions Wednesday:

*The Board dedicated $12.5 million more to the Sheriff’s Department. Also Wednesday, the Board formalized a labor agreement with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association. This union agreed to concessions that totaled $10.6 million. The roughly $23 million will be used to cover 124 jobs for sheriff’s deputies.

*Sixty employee positions in the Boys Ranch, a county youth offender program, were maintained. The Boys Ranch is run by the county Probation Department.

*Some social services programs, including Stanford Settlement and the popular parenting program Birth & Beyond, received some funding from the Supervisors Wednesday. The board allocated to Birth & Beyond $211,000. The Stanford Settlement received $100,000.

County lays off 300 staffers, 700 since July

2009-09-23T03:20:59Z

Sacramento County’s elected officials laid off 300 employees Tuesday, which brings the total number of layoffs to more than 700 since July, according to county spokesman Zeke Holst.

Susan Peters, chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors, said at the Tuesday board meeting that the layoffs were needed in response to the ailing economy. In her comments, she foreshadowed possible upcoming layoffs to address the county’s $76 million shortfall. “I honestly don’t think that this is the last time you’ll see us back here with position reductions,” Peters said.

“And we may be able to tweak a few things next week, but it’s not going to be very much, if anything,” she added. “I’m sorry the economy is the way it is, and I wish there was some way we could patch together this budget that no one would be hurt.”

Many more budget-related developments are expected to unfold in the coming weeks. The board approved layoffs Tuesday, but hasn’t yet passed its final budget for the current fiscal year. It has planned new budget hearings to take place Sept. 29, Oct. 1 and Oct. 2. The final budget is now scheduled to be approved Oct. 2, according to Mark Norris, administrator of the county’s Internal Services Agency.

County unions, including United Public Employees Local 1 and the Sacramento County Alliance of Law Enforcement, are likely to continue battling with the supervisors. Unions are strongly protesting a county plan to create shortened work schedules for about 7,000 employees.

Christa Yous, an investigative assistant with the Department of Human Assistance, told the supervisors that she has received a pink slip from the county and is on a future rehire list. With her voice shaking, Yous said she has become “the face of the terrible economic turmoil that’s before this county.”

Photo of Supervisor Susan Peters by Kati Garner.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Psychiatric services at county jail proposed for cuts

2009-09-09T04:55:25Z

The county’s correctional health services division is asking county leaders to lower the amount of funding for psychiatric services at the Sacramento County Main Jail in exchange for bringing back four medical assistant positions that were cut earlier this summer.

The division, which is part of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, is facing $443,996 in budget cuts. The cuts to the division come from declines in revenue from sales tax and vehicle license fees.

At the same time, the division’s chief, AnnMarie Boylan, wants to rehire four full-time medical assistants. The organizational support that medical assistants provide is key, Boylan told the Supervisors at a county budget hearing Tuesday. Since the four medical assistants were laid off in July, the clinicians have “had a very difficult time staying on top of our inmates’ requests for services,” Boylan said.

The division’s clinical personnel have also raised safety concerns about working alone with ill inmates, Boylan noted. Bringing back assistants would mean that clinical staffers would not be alone in a room with an inmate.

Boylan explained that the division wants to address its $443,996 hole by cutting $720,800 from a contract with the University of California Davis Health Systems for jail psychiatric services. The remaining $276,804 would go toward filling the four medical assistant positions.

The current 46-person psychiatric services staff funded by the UC Davis contract will be cut to 28 employees.

The county’s general fund will not be affected by this plan, according to Boylan’s report.

The city of Sacramento is also following planned mental health cuts at the county. City officials are concerned about a projected $10 million in cuts to the county's Department of Behavioral Health Services. The state's ongoing budget crisis is spurring the state's projected $10 million in cuts to Behavioral Health Services.

Read Boylan’s report to the Board of Supervisors here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sac State expert explains county's budget woes

2009-06-17T05:12:13Z

It’s now common knowledge that Sacramento County is facing hardship with its finances. The county has a $180 million budget gap and two credit rating agencies recently lowered the county’s credit ratings.

But for those of us who are not economists or budget experts, it may be difficult to get a grasp on the findings presented by the credit rating agencies, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services.

The Sacramento Press asked Robert Wassmer, a professor and chairman of the public policy and administration department at California State University, Sacramento, to shed some light on the report issued by Moody’s.

The Moody’s “A1” rating for the county has fallen to “A2.”

The county may approve a proposed budget Wednesday.

Moody’s: No Political Will to “Create Structural Balance”

The Moody’s report said that county leaders are not showing the political will to make structural changes to its budgeting practices. “The political willingness and ability to create structural balance has been noticeably absent, yet is going to be critical if the county is going to meet its budget challenges for fiscal 2010,” the report states.

The Sacramento Press: In your view, what does this statement mean? Moody's is saying the county is not structurally balanced. How significant is this?

Wassmer: The expenditures that Sacramento County has committed to are expected to be greater in value than the revenue that it can be expected to bring in during a normal economic year. In normal times its budget is expected to be in deficit.

Between 2004 and 2007, the economy in Sacramento County was booming and in retrospect above its normal trend. This period produced budget surpluses for the county and politically generated pressure to commit these surpluses to long-term expenditures that furthered the county's structural deficit. We are feeling the effects of this in 2009.

Though to do anything about a structural deficit during a recession is very politically difficult because the solutions of higher taxes and/or reduced expenditures slow the county's economy even further. The decline in Moody's rating may be actually good because it offers the county's supervisors some political cover to make these difficult decisions.

In summary, once a state or local government is in a situation of generating structural deficits, it is very hard to break out of it. Why? Because in good times the political pressure is to raise expenditures or cut taxes to eliminate the artificial surplus, and in bad times it is politically very difficult to propose the long-term cuts or tax increases that would eliminate the long-term structural deficit. The answer to many is a "rainy-day" fund where surpluses are saved when the economy is above average and subsequently spent when below.

Moody’s: The County Uses “One-Time Fixes”

“The county has no recent history of anything other than expedient one-time fixes to budgetary imbalances,” the Moody’s report states.

SP: What is your comment on this statement from Moody’s? Why is it significant if the county uses one-time funds?

Wassmer: In bad economic times, it has "patched" its structural deficit with one-times fixes, meaning that it took care of the deficit for that year, but not the inherent 'too great of spending or too low of taxes' that caused it. To eliminate the structural deficit requires permanent revenue enhancements or expenditure cuts.

Reliability of Moody’s Analyses

SP: In your view, how reliable are Moody's analyses?

Wassmer: They are extremely reliable because it is a private subscription service with at least one competitor. They sell their forecasts and ratings. If they are biased or bad in someway, investors will not buy. Thus the market forces them to offer the best advice possible because Standard & Poor's is a competitor that investors can turn to.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City/County budget crisis: The weekly roundup

2009-06-14T17:19:13Z

City Council to consider budget:

The City Council may adopt a final 2009/2010 fiscal year budget Tuesday, June 16. The Tuesday meeting starts at 6 p.m. City Council meetings are open to the public and are held at 915 I St. The city is considering many cuts and layoffs to address a deficit of more than $43 million. A total of 168 pink slips were distributed to employees June 2. Fewer employees may be laid off if unions make concessions, according to city officials.

County supervisors to act on proposed budget:

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors may approve a proposed budget for the 2009/2010 fiscal year on Wednesday, June 17. Wednesday’s budget meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at 700 H St. Sacramento County faces a budget gap of $180 million. The county and city are on different budget schedules. Supervisors are considering approval of a proposed budget Wednesday. The county’s final budget will be approved in September.

Sheriff sounds alarm over possible budget cuts:

Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness told the Board of Supervisors June 10 that $80 million in planned budget cuts to the sheriff’s
department would result in significant public safety problems. In response to McGinness’s presentation, Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan asked county staffers to examine the possibility of providing the department with $20 million more.

Homeless programs on budget chopping block:

Sacramento County’s Department of Human Assistance, which provides programs for the county’s homeless population, will have to stop funding 154 shelter beds due to budget cuts, said the department’s director, Bruce Wagstaff.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Layoffs: Employee reflects on her work for the county

2009-05-09T04:14:17Z

Stephanie Knowles knows the odds are against her. Knowles expects to be laid off from her Sacramento County job in July, but she’s not angry with the county for cutting her position.

Knowles, who works for the Department of Human Assistance (DHA), says her job as a communications and media officer is not as critical as other positions in the department.

Sacramento County is struggling with a $187 million deficit. The Board of Supervisors will be discussing its budget crisis in workshops on May 13 and May 14. Media outlets have recently reported that the county plans to slash 907 positions, which means that 640 people would be laid off because the remaining positions are vacant.

Knowles, 30, says the department’s most necessary employees work with clients to assist them with benefits such as food stamps, Medi-Cal and other programs for low-income people.

She says she will miss several things about her job.

“Working for the county is a great place to be,” she says. “It’s like working in a family. And being a public servant — that feels good. I’ll miss that, definitely.”

But now, she says, she’s “at peace” with the department’s plan to lay her off.

“I feel they made the right decision,” she says, noting that the department needs to keep the employees who work with clients.

Knowles’s responsibilities include communicating with media outlets and with staff at the department. She also chairs a fundraiser for non-profit organizations, prepares an annual report, responds to public records requests and plans events. She has worked at the county as a staffer for two years, and as an intern for one year.

Knowles currently holds down a second job, working a few hours per week for a cosmetics company. She plans to continue her part-time job and look for a new full-time career position. “I’m just going to do whatever I can to get back into another career,” she says.

Knowles graduated with a degree in communications from California State University, Sacramento, in 2007.

Lucinda Serynek, a county communications and media officer, is Knowles’s supervisor. She says that DHA is considering cuts to 104 positions, 50 of which are filled. Unfortunately, one of those positions “is my communications and media officer, Stephanie,” Serynek says.

Knowles’s layoff has not yet been finalized by the Board of Supervisors, but it’s highly likely, Serynek says. There’s a chance Knowles’s job may be saved, but it’s “very, very slim,” Serynek says.

Knowles says Serynek has been her mentor.

Asked if she would fight to keep her job, Knowles responded that she believes in and values what she does in her position for the county, but that “I don’t think I have an option to fight for my job.”

Pictured above: Lucinda Serynek (left) and Stephanie Knowles (right).

Read Schutten's memo on hundreds of planned county layoffs

2009-08-26T21:42:01Z

The Sacramento Press is publishing a memo from County Executive Terry Schutten on hundreds of new planned layoffs for county employees. Read Schutten's Aug. 24 memo to county employees here.

The county’s latest general fund deficit figure is $54.5 million. Plus, $7.8 million will need to be cut because building activity is poor, Schutten wrote.

The county is planning to cut 360 positions Sept. 27. In addition, county officials are proposing to cut 16 hours per month from the workload of county employees who are represented by unions. The cuts in work hours are proposed to start Nov. 8.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County's layoffs/reduced hours plan is "illegal," union alleges

2009-08-28T01:20:24Z

A union that represents Sacramento County clerical workers and social workers is alleging that the county government’s plans to cut 360 positions and reduce employee hours are illegal. In response, the county’s labor relations director said the county’s plans are “perfectly legal.”

The United Public Employees Local 1 is fighting county management’s planned cuts to positions and hours. County Executive Terry Schutten outlined county management’s proposal for the layoffs and cutbacks in an Aug. 24 memo that can be read here.

Schutten’s memo says the county now has a $54.5 million deficit. Plus, $7.8 million will need to be cut from the county’s budget because building activity is poor, Schutten wrote.

The county has proposed to cut 360 positions on Sept. 27. County management is also planning to take 16 hours per month out of the work schedule of county employees who are represented by unions. A new schedule with the decreased work hours is planned to start Nov. 8.

“We believe Mr. Schutten’s proposal is in direct violation of our contract in many ways,” Ted Somera, executive director of UPE Local 1, told The Sacramento Press Thursday. “We will fight this. We believe, like I said, it’s illegal.”

The union notes on its website that UPE members currently hold roughly 238 of the positions that are proposed to be eliminated.

Though Somera said UPE Local 1 is fighting Schutten’s proposal, he also noted that the union is open to holding talks with county management.

“We’re not even interested in entertaining their proposal,” Somera said. “What we’re interested in is what we can do collectively to mitigate layoffs, as well as to continue to provide those services to the communities.”

Sacramento County Labor Relations Director Steve Keil said he appreciates Somera’s willingness to meet with county managers. The county has sent an invitation to meet with UPE Local 1, as well as all other county employee groups to discuss how the proposal would be implemented and alternatives that may come from the unions.

In response to Somera’s allegation that the proposal is illegal, Keil said, “Obviously, we disagree.” The cutbacks of positions and work hours would be made through a process that is “perfectly legal,” Keil said.

The layoffs of county employees will create “a hardship in terms of our ability to provide services,” Keil said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County faces heat from health advisory board

2009-09-10T03:15:21Z

The county’s planned budget cuts to local health services drew withering criticism Wednesday from a member of the public health advisory board and public interest attorneys. During the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors’ second day of final budget hearings, critics charged that the cuts were unlawful and decided in a “closed-door” process.

The supervisors are planning more than 360 layoffs and cuts to numerous county programs to address a budget gap in excess of $54.5 million.

Wednesday’s hearing addressed proposed cuts to health services in numerous areas including immunizations, California Children’s Services, Community Health Promotion & Infectious Disease Prevention, Community Disease and STD Control & Epidemiology and Pharmacy and Support Services.

Ann Edwards-Buckley, director of the county’s Department of Health and Human Services, said planned cuts to the California Children’s Services program would affect 300 children. “There will be 300 children per year that won’t receive medically necessary physical or occupational therapy,” Buckley told the Supervisors.

Stephen Goldberg, a staff attorney with Legal Services of Northern California, told the supervisors that proposed cuts were being considered for programs that are mandated by law. “The California Children’s Program is specifically for disabled children,” Goldberg said. “The scope of the CCS program is mandatory.”

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, a member of the Sacramento County Public Health Advisory Board said the advisory board and community health clinics are “terribly disappointed” with the planned cuts. Marty Keale, who represents community clinics on the advisory board, harshly criticized the county’s process of budgeting for public health.

“From start to finish, that process has been dominated by closed-door decision-making, based largely on rushed, narrowly defined data collection and analysis,” he said. "And now we all face the mess that’s being presented to you today.”

Nav Gill, the county’s chief operations officer, disagreed. “From our side, it’s still a very collaborative process,” he said. Many of the proposed cuts are based on recommendations from county staffers, he said.

Jim Hunt, the acting director of the Countywide Services Agency, also responded to Keale’s comments. Hunt said that he and Buckley have been active participants in the Sacramento Healthcare Improvement Project. They have pushed the agenda of how the county “should reshape healthcare delivery for the Medi-Cal and population and uninsured in Sacramento County,” Hunt said.

Keale said his complaint did not concern that project. “Our issue has been with the budget process — strictly the budget process,” Keale said.

Supervisor Roger Dickinson said reform is needed to address the county’s problems with its public health programs. “This hearing to me just punctuates the point that we have an unsustainable scheme at this point — and a barely rational one as well — that requires systemic reformation.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County: New budget gap on top of $68 million shortfall

2009-09-17T03:15:43Z

On top of its current $68 million shortfall, Sacramento County has a new $8.1 million budget gap from falling sales tax revenues, Sacramento County officials told the Board of Supervisors Wednesday.

The new budget gap means that layoffs — in addition to the 382 currently proposed — are a definite possibility, which is unfortunate, said County Executive Terry Schutten in response to a question from The Sacramento Press.

The Board of Supervisors was scheduled to make final decisions today to balance its 2009/2010 budget. However, the situation changed in light of new information that the county’s sales tax revenues are plummeting again. The board now plans to make its final budget decisions on Tuesday.

Planned budget cuts include the 382 layoffs and shortened work schedules for about 7,000 employees, according to the most recently updated information available Wednesday from county spokesman Zeke Holst.

Schutten said that county executives met on Monday and nearly balanced the supervisors’ final budget priorities.

“However, at 4:45 p.m. ... on Monday afternoon, our chief operating officer received notification from our tax consultant that, for the last quarter, our sales tax were down 26 percent. And for the entire year-to-year, our drop was approximately 14 percent,” Schutten told the supervisors.

Those figures create a $4.1 million gap, he explained. The county lost another $4 million in revenues from sales taxes that are collected statewide and then delivered to local governments for public safety programs, Schutten said. The loss of the sales tax money that goes to public safety programs will affect the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Probation Department and District Attorney’s office.

Meanwhile, the vice chair of United Public Employees Local 1 told the supervisors that the union would make concessions on retirement benefits if the county drops its proposal to shorten the work schedules for about 7,000 employees represented by unions.

“As a show of good faith yesterday, UPE is willing to defer the Retiree Health Savings Plan accounts that we have, which potentially saves the county millions of dollars," said Beverly Kearney, vice chair of UPE Local 1. "We’re hoping that this will save jobs and mitigate layoffs.”

But Schutten told The Sacramento Press after the board meeting that UPE’s proposal would not garner the savings the county needs. UPE’s “main concern was the retirement health care account, and that’s for $8 million,” Schutten said. "Of that $8 million, only $1.9 million is local dollars. So it’s not near enough to cover the shortfalls that we have. It was a good suggestion. We certainly appreciate it, and look forward to working with them.”

Photo of Supervisor Roger Dickinson by Kati Garner.

Photo of presentation on sales tax by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.