County services suffered under the old budget. What's new with the new budget?

Parks are losing funding for utilities and 30 part-time workers. Library hours are being cut and several staff let go.

Sheriff, fire and other public safety departments are still getting funding, but are having to cut back on capital expenditures and equipment replacement. Some of the biggest impacts could be in social services areas like the Department of Human Services. They're getting less state money and may have higher caseloads and lowere services.

Those are the data bits. I'm wondering how things are expected to hit for front-line county staff and for the people they serve.

Don't look for a fix on the Animal Control department issue anytime soon.  Doing nothing, but talking endlessly about everything seems to be the modus operandi in these parts.

Burger, I'm no math genius, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to get $87.7 million out of $1.5 million. Maybe you can help me out.

Most of the county's money comes from state and federal payments made to fund social services and public safety programs that the county is required to operate by law. Other money comes from fees that can only be used to fund the services they're charged on.

In total the county has only $428 million in "discretionary funds."

And most of those funds have strings too. $43.9 million of discretionary money is required to match state and federal cash. True, supervisors could pull that money out of programs — but then they would lose hundreds of millions of dollars in our state and federal tax money.

$263.5 million in discretionary funding is also tied up. Supervisors could decide not to re-roof county buildings and resurface parking lots on a regular basis. But then the buildings, officials say, would deteriorate and create a bigger financial burden.

That leaves the $87.7. million

So what does the figure of $1.5 million mean then? That still does not make sense.

It says billion OldBlue. With a "B" Jeez, can't you read??

(sheepish note of embarrasment — I cheated and changed the original "m"illion to "b"illion before I wrote this post)

Thanks for the correction, OB.

NOW it makes sense....

Economy is going sky high..$5 for a gallon of milk etc and the county cuts foster childrens checks by 5% ..makes sense too me..

Mr. Burger:

The CAO's proposal for the Sheriff is not enough to maintain the status quo - despite what the CAO says in his budget write up.  SALARY SAVINGS, OVERTIME, AND EXTRA HELP are problematic.  REVENUE expectations are also seriously overstated.  If the proposal is adopted by the BOS it will be a TOUGH year for the Sheriff (to say the least).

adampayne...you are right.  But the irony is that the AC dept. 'doing nothing, but talking endlessly' has nothing to do with the budget, but rather, everything with public manipulation.  In fact, they have a very ample budget -- they are currently spending between $1.8 and $2.7 million dollars per year to euth the surplus pets -- a surplus they are doing nothing to prevent.

Why not use those funds to spay/neuter pets as a viable means of prevention; or to implement and enforce a requirement that people be responsible and spay/neuter their pets?  Well, they can't do that because they are too busy convincing everyone that a requirement to spay and neuter pets takes away everyone's personal freedom and rights -- that is what their monthly meetings are all about...pr on what a great job they are doing along with time spent letting the crowd rant on about no more laws!

But hey...it may not work for our community, but it works for them.  (The more homeless pets the better...insures their jobs, etc. and they have completely fooled the public into backing them up).

Don't be fooled into thinking that they are doing nothing -- they actually work very hard at what they are doing and have done very well for themselves.

Sad commentary but I'm afraid a true one.

What services ? The  streets in this area have not been swept in over two years.  The gutters are full of dirt and the weeds have taken hold. I wouldn't bet my life on the sheriff showing up if needed.  I'm not getting much for my $5k in property taxes.

I bet some public safety depts are able to convince the BOS to kick in additional funds ..  for sure the Sheriff will be given at least a couple more million.  It always happens -  its a political game played out every year.  The CAO always low balls the departments and the politicians get the opportunity to show how committed they are to public safety by providing some of the funds that should have been in the proposed budget to begin with ...

on the other hand, the non-public safety agencies might just actually have to liv with less money 

The county needs to cut back on spending.  Most consumers have cut back and now it is time for the county to do the same.  Do not burden the taxpayer anymore. 

Departments that are not named Sheriff or Fire have been understaffed for years and run on the backs of extra-help workers (no benefits, 9-month terms).  Two in my family were laid off 3 weeks ago.  People continually leave or retire and never are replaced or are replaced with less qualified staff. 

The county population has exploded but county staffing and facilities have never had a chance to keep pace.  Fewer staff serving more and more people makes for less service.

This budget will solidify Kern's spot on the bottom rung of the ladder.