County budget call for cutbacks to
local programs and services

By Joe Naiman
The Alpine Sun

     SAN DIEGO — Due to the county’s fiscal crisis, county staff provided a preliminary outlook of the Fiscal Year 2009-10 budget and indicated where proposed cuts might be made.
     The San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ only action following the March 24 presentation was to receive the report. The actual proposed operational plan will be submitted to the supervisors May 12 while budget hearings and deliberations will take place in June.
     “There’s not a heck of a lot in here to like,” said Supervisor Greg Cox.
     Due to the county’s revenue shortfall, the supervisors received overview presentations of economic conditions in November and February. Shortly after the February presentation, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law and Governor Schwarzenegger signed the state’s 2009 budget.
     “Things have improved since our last briefing,” said county chief administrative officer Walt Ekard.
     The Federal economic stimulus package and the state’s approval of a budget don’t erase a loss in sales tax and property tax revenue or cuts in state funding.
     “The news is not particularly good, and the impacts to our 2009 budget will be considerable,” Ekard said. “It will not be easy and it certainly won’t be fun for any of us.”
     The overview focused only on local revenues and did not address retirement fund losses due to the drop in stock market values.
     The stimulus funding will likely allow an increase in the budget of the county’s Community Services Group, which includes the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the stimulus funding will likely limit the net revenue loss to the county’s Health and Human Services Agency group to approximately 8 percent below 2008-09 levels. The Land Use and Environment Group is expected to see an 11 percent decrease in revenues, the Finance and General Government Group is expecting a 7 percent drop, and the Public Safety Group foresees a 4 percent decrease.
Much of the cuts will involve staff reductions, which will result in service impacts to some extent.
     “The county will continue to provide essential core services to the residents of this region,” said county Chief Financial Officer Donald Steuer.
     A reduction in County Counsel training programs and advisory services offered to county departments is one likely cut, and delays in processing human resources activities are also likely. Services performed by the office of the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk will likely be centralized with public counters being closed at 4 p.m.
     Consolidation activities will result in the closing of the Descanso Detention Facility, which is expected to save $10.3 million. The Public Safety Group will also decentralize the SWAT special enforcement detail, delay full implementation of a DNA rapid response team at the Sheriff’s Department crime lab, and discontinue non-mandated civil processes.
     Victim services will be reduced while the victim restitution collections unit will be eliminated. State cuts will eliminate the juvenile mentally ill offender program, school district funding cuts will reduce the number of school-based probation officers, and county revenue declines will reduce truancy supervision and community assessment teams.
     State cuts to Health and Human Services Agency programs include adult protective services, the ombudsman, and drug and alcohol services. Other cutbacks will affect well child visits, the Critical Hours after-school program, Aging and Independent Services programs, pandemic flu education, public health immunizations, dental access, and perinatal outreach.
     The economic situation has created increased demand for Health and Human Services agency programs; the CalWorks program has seen a 7 percent caseload increase, the MediCal caseload has increased by 5 percent, the caseload for food stamps has risen by 20 percent, demand for services at adult mental health outpatient clinics has increased by 20 percent, and the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital has seen a 29 percent increase in people seeking services.
     The Land Use and Environment Group receives much of its revenue from user fees. Permit fee revenue is down by approximately 50 percent, while gas tax revenue, which funds much of the Department of Public Works, is down by approximately 10 percent.
     Delays in permit processing and inspections are probable for LUEG departments. LUEG also anticipates reduced household hazardous waste disposal hours and the elimination of one-day local recycling events. The county-operated community centers in Fallbrook, Lakeside, and Spring Valley are expected to be open fewer hours.
     The Department of Planning and Land Use reductions will result in fewer policy and ordinance amendments and in a delay of the East County and Otay habitat conservation plans. The Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures expects a reduced level of veterinary services while the Department of Public Works will likely see reduced education and outreach for watershed protection.
     The economic situation has also seen more citizens rely on local library resources, and usage of County Library facilities grew by 17 percent in 2008. No County Library branches will be closed and current hours will be maintained, but a 14 percent reduction in services and supplies will decrease purchases of new books and other materials. Funding for programs and discretionary maintenance will also be reduced.
     “Very sobering,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob said of the presentation. “It truly is back to basics in the County of San Diego.”

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