Amador County – Amador County Supervisors set a two-day budget workshop for the coming fiscal year with news that the current budget is on schedule, but revenue losses are expected.
County Administrative Office Chuck Iley said Tuesday that the current revenue is 98 percent on budget, while expenditures are 94 percent and we are projecting a $1.7 million carryover to the next budget.
Supervisor John Plasse said “that’s down from $4.7 million,” and Iley said: “That’s the root of our problem.” He said the Legislature is awaiting the Governor’s May budget revision. Iley crafted the budget with restored 40-hour work weeks for all employees, who voted last year to work 36-hour weeks, after working 40-hour weeks for two months into the fiscal year. Combined with “triple-flip” funds lost, the deficit is expected to be $3.8 million.
Only law enforcement voted to work 40-hour weeks last year and Iley made them meet the previous year amounts to keep total costs to the county the same. The same happened with the District Attorney’s office.
He said Supervisors could consider cuts from other general fund contributions to other departments. Plasse asked about some departments running “lean and mean” and others seemingly not, and comparing Amador County departments with those in other counties.
Iley said he was about 50 percent done with a comparative analysis, but it gets tricky because different counties use different practices and serve different functions: “It’s not quite as easy as it may seem.”
Plasse said they could discuss those differences during the budget workshop and allow department heads to explain. Iley said another difference is the method for calculating overhead. An example is the county counsel’s office which has one attorney completely covered by social services. It would make no sense to cut there. He said some credits seem to be “all over the board.”
Iley said no department will make cuts without a loss of service, but the “budget has to balance or the checks are going to bounce.”
Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said last year they spent the first two months of the fiscal year negotiating with employee units, and he asked if it would be done on time this year. Iley said he has to set up a meeting with Service Employees International Union, and “I feel confident that we won’t have a repeat of last year.”
Supervisor Ted Novelli said “keep doing the good job that you have been doing. I think you will get the support of the department heads,” who all understand the economic climate affecting the county, the state and the world.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
