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2009-10 county budget down 5% from last year
By Joe Naiman
The Alpine Sun
The San Diego County Board of
Supervisors received the county's proposed budget for Fiscal
Years 2009-10, which reduces county revenues and expenditures
4.7 percent from the 2008-09 adopted budget and cuts 758 staff
years from the 2008-09 level.
The supervisors' 5-0 vote May 12 also set June 8 as the
first date of public hearings on the budget. Public hearings on
Community Enhancement funding allocations, which are derived
from the Transient Occupancy Tax for lodging in the
unincorporated area of San Diego County, will take place June
8-9, and oral public testimony on the budget can also be taken
June 9. Written public testimony can be submitted through June
17, and the supervisors will begin budget deliberations June 23.
"There's no question that hard, unpopular decisions are
before us," said Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
The total proposed budget is $4.94 billion, which is a
decrease of $244 million or 4.7 percent from Fiscal Year
2008-09.
In November 2004 the state's voters passed Proposition
1A, which prevents the state from shifting local government
revenues for state use. Proposition 1A can be suspended if the
governor declares a fiscal emergency and a two-thirds vote of
the state legislature suspends the local government protection.
The $2.2 billion shift being discussed at the state level would
cost the County of San Diego $70 million.
"If Proposition 1A is suspended, that's nothing less
than criminal in my opinion," Jacob said.
The worldwide financial crisis has led to an additional $2.5
billion decrease in the county's retirement fund as of December
31, 2008.
"2009-10 and 2010-11 will be in many ways back to
basics years," Ekard said. "The road ahead is going to challenge
us all to become more creative, more flexible, and more
responsive."
The 2009-10 million capital budget includes $75 million
for the new women's detention facility, $10 million for Multiple
Species Conservation Program land acquisition, $2.6 million to
purchase a 69-acre parcel which is planned for a future active
recreation area at the future San Luis Rey River Park, and
$300,000 for projects at Jess Martin Park in Julian.
The county's $3.8 billion general fund budget would be
derived from $2.4 billion of revenues dedicated to specific
programs, $951 million from general-purpose revenues, and $339
million from the county's reserves or fund balances.
The county's total reserves, including program-specific
reserves, will be reduced from $839 million to $722 million.
Consolidation activities would result in the closing of
the Descanso Detention Facility, which is expected to save $10.3
million, including $5 million in overtime pay.
The Public Safety Group would 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.
A reduction in District Attorney staff will likely
result in increased caseloads affecting preparation time and
timely investigation while cases will be prioritized.
District Attorney planned reductions also include
victim services contacts.
State budget reductions in the Probation department
will eliminate mentally ill offender grant funding and reduce
substance abuse services for offenders while county revenue
losses will reduce supervision of mid-level risk offenders.
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.
The Medical Examiner's office will see increased
response time for investigations and forensic evaluations due to
staff cuts while Office of Emergency Services resources for
certain local preparedness priorities will be reduced.
Cuts to Health and Human Services Agency programs will
affect well child visits, the Critical Hours after-school
program, the Aging and Independent Services radio talk show, and
public health outreach programs.
The cutbacks will also increase wait times for
residents seeking services.
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 economic situation has also seen more citizens rely
on local library resources. No County Library branches will be
closed and current hours will be maintained, but a 23.67 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.
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