Placer County's budget blues projected to continue in 2010 and 2011
Placer County’s budget blues are projected to continue through next year and into 2011. Supervisors heard a gloomy forecast Tuesday from the CEO’s Office budget staff. The mid-year report included an early look at what could occur over the next two budget years. Projections are for a $20 million budget shortfall in 2010-11 and $33 million in 2011-12. Plans are to use $4 million each year from reserves to help shore up some of the potential deficit but supervisors were told that work is already underway to find ways to balance the numbers during the most severe recession to hit the nation and Placer County in decades. County CEO Tom Miller said that Placer was able to cut $35 million in expenses last year in the wake of declining sales tax and other revenues. That included regular days off without pay for employees and a hiring freeze. “It’s not going to get any easier, it’s going to be challenging,” Miller said, adding that a major priority will be retaining services for residents. Miller reported several labor options can be considered in trimming the deficit, including wage freezes, continuing furloughs, reducing work hours and layoffs. Supervisor Jim Holmes, who represents the Auburn area, said the county will be particularly hurt from a drop in revenue from property taxes. With a decline in the cost of living, next year’s property tax adjustment will not have a 2 percent blanket increase. “County revenues are going to lag for at least two years,” Holmes said. “We’re in this a little longer than normal.” This year’s budget is down $81 million from 2008-09, with projections that the final budget figure of $784 million will hold through the end of the fiscal year in June.
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OK, I'm going to bite on the bait.
How can they build a new jail in Roseville and still cut $53mil from the budget over two consecutive years? Are they building it with some grant money or special fund that's being utilized and could not otherwise be spent on regular budgetary expenses?
And then there's the staffing of the new jail; how are they going to pull that off?
The City of Lincoln built a new fire station on East Ave and McBean Park Drive a few years back, and they ended up taking all the staff they had at another fire house, and close the old one, in order to operate the new one. That wasn't what they said they were planning to do, but that's what happened due to tax revenues falling sharply.
Is that what will happen to the new county jail in Roseville? Will the County pull all the staff out of Dewitt and put ALL prisoners in the new jail?
That would sure suck!
Greg....sounds like you figured it out. In the middle east they build lots of palaces... and here we build lots of prisons....something is coming our way and must be in this budget planning forecast...
Obewan. Do some research before you comment. Those funds were set aside a while back due to the need and overcrowding. I say fill the new one and the old one til it's bursting at the seams. Unless you like having your car and home burglarized. If so, the bad guys would like you to post your address. Didn't think so.
One more thing obewan. If you are still wondering why they need new jails and prisons, scroll down two articles.
harley,
Neither Obewan or I have any doubt why there's a need for a new jail, it's just a wonder how they can spend that kind of money while laying off people and cutting hours. Even if they have all the money to build this new jail already set aside, how will they afford to staff it?
I also realize the need will continue and a high percentage of arrests are closer to Roseville than Auburn. The cost to build isn't the biggest issue for me.
If you look at the cost to staff and operate a jail like this you have to wonder where they'll get the money since the over-all budget must be cut $20mil in 2010-2011 and another $33mil in 2011-2012.
It's reasonable to wonder where they'll get the money to staff this new facility.
Our juvenile hall is still short staff and can not house the inmates it was designed for because of lack of staff. But we are not doing any juvenile crime prevention so who cares.
Actually, Jon, the number of wards at the Juvenile Hall (JDF) has inexplicably declined this past year. The number of kids detained has gone from between 42-47 per average week, down to the low 30's.
Also, Jon, there are several open seats on the Placer County Juvenile Justice/Delinquency Prevention Commission. Maybe you might like to call Verjean Leavitt at the Probation Dept. and ask for an application. ;-)
Jon,
There's a silver-lining to the JDF situation. When the need actually increases there is already room for 50% more detentions and costly construction will be unnecessary for several years.
Harley...saw the rock star with the goat..I wonder where he learned that facial look from? Who or what do we blame. Movies,TV. Mom & No Dad. The School, His Teachers, CPS, The Drugs... he was on and or the anti depressant he was prescribed when he was younger , The Food, His Girlfriend, The Bike Owner who left the key in the bike, The Camera, The Sexual Male Hormones racing through his body?
Maybe best to just lock him up...who cares how he became this way....maybe he just needs a real good spanking...the one he obviously never received at the age of 12....when he really needed it. Your solution is to build more prisons.....and sadly your going to need a lot more of them based on our current culture.
Jim Holmes is so far from a fiscal conservative, he was a part of the shortsighted planning at the auburn school district which will soon go bankrupt and be taken over by the county again, now he is part of the poor management that creates the perpetual "after the fact" crisis county management that will be used to leverage the workforce, while 100 million dollar jails are being built. The board has approved and facilitated the recovery killing liberal spending, building and buying like there is no thought of the future, hire expencive family, staff and consultants, with no real need, build new jails when the current jail has just been upgraded (gregcalc has it right) the brand new juvenile jail sits half empty because the county can not afford to staff and fund it, it has fewer inmates than the old one did. Furlough probation officers?? who is watching the hen house?? Put more probation and police on the job & watch the crime rate go down, not to mention turning the economic wheel. Stop the bleeding and make the cuts to programs and personell that are draining our budgets and hurting recovery, focus on core services and needs. Time for the board to start wagging the tail, get a spine and make the changes to senior management that will best serve the long term needs and stability of our county & to start making changes that will bring industry and jobs to our county. Get a clue, your credibility is declining quicker than our President. Come on election
gregalac there is a good reason for the decrease, they are intentionally not filling beds, your numbers do not represent a decrease in juvenile crime, ask any juvenile probation officer or sheriff who can not admit someone due to being full, there are caps on admittance due to an inability to staff and fill the hall and use it to it's capacity. The old hall regularly held 70 kids basic math will tell you there is something else going on. From liberal judges giving , "alternative sentencing" (again who will be doing monitoring if probation officers are being furloughed) to flat out controlling numbers and letting kids out that should be locked up out on the street. Also keep in mind probation officers decreased work week and increased workload will have an affect on those numbers. Prevention is great, and needs to be done but kids have not stopped commiting crimes
greg, I would have a conflict of interest in the future, i hope..
Sarah: Alternative sentencing isn't a "liberal judge" decision, it's a matter of neccessity & is used in sentencing by all judges.
If staff werent so expensive, there would be resources available, perhaps they can bring in contractors to work for less money , there are a lot of qualified people looking for work, also crime rates are declining and have been, so the justification for many of these projects may not be valid anymore if in fact they were using any anaylsis or statistics.
One more thing, alt. sentencing isn't an option for violent offenders.
Auburnite, could you please site your sources for the decline in crime rates in Placer County, what crimes, from what reference date? I can not find any reports that confirm your stat. Steelybob, alternative sentencing is a liberal concept, usually created by unfunded mandates (prop 38) & winds up being a joke. What necessity are you talking about, especially with juveniles? Electronic monitoring? while some peoples pet project, most consider this a joke in Placer County. If you cap a Juvenile hall and will not allow violators in or someone has to go out, violent offender becomes a grey area in Placer County, some who are not allowed in soon and often become violent offenders. Community Council.org Adult Arrests, misdomeaner & felony 2000: 8,000 - 2005: 10,000 / Juvenile 2000: 1511 2005: 1555 Property Crime Rate per 1000 : 2000 9.0 / 2005 18.2
(based on this it looks like property crime rate going up quicker than arrest rate)
BTW in 1992 a 260 bed addition cost 3.5 Million, a lot less than a 100 million dollar new jail maybe another addition might be the best call, combined with a holding unit in Roseville, send a bus up the hill once a day
Sarah: Correction...alt. sentencing isn't a liberal concept...I'd like to see your source for that...it's a result of & relief for jail overcrowding...law mandates 90% capacity is the max...ain't that difficult to understand.
Sarah,
I sit on the Placer County Juvenile Justice Commission and we meet with Probation once a month. At those meetings, among other things, they brief us on the current population of the Juvenile Detention Facility. We've asked the exact question you cite as the reason for not filling the beds.
I don't know anyone on the Juvenile Justice Commission who believes there is an actual decrease in juvenile crime. We believe they are not bringing kids in as often, for whatever reason. I'm not out in the field with arresting officers so I can't say with certainty why that is.
Yes, there is a cap on admittance at the JDF, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, and it's not like they're just letting any random kid out early. Judge Gini or Commissioner Ross, along with the Superintendent of the JDF, and CPO Steve Pecor review the population each week and decide which ward is eligible for release if the need arises. I know those people and I have confidence that they know what they're doing when they decide which kids to release.
JonGreen,
JJ/DPC is an unpaid position. There is also no conflict between ourselves and Peer Court since we have no control or influence on anything to do with PC.
Hopefully there will be enough pressure on the juvenile court with all the added cases that would normally be dealt with in Peer Court that the judges will complain enough to get funding back for Karen. That sounds a little silly, I realize, but it might end up working out like that. Stranger things have happened.
Think about it though; we could use you.
Auburnite. Yeah, bring in contractors. I'm surprised you would want that since I get the feeling you have frequent flyer miles at the jail. And as you can see, contractors didn't work out so well in the mideast. The list goes on and on for reasons not to use contractors. Not as professional, lack of accountability, training, lax backround qualifications, etc. By the way, private firms are in it for a profit. That means stay in your cell 24/7 & one slice of bread and some dirty water. Is that how you want to live when you make your visits Auburnite?
Greg, You might be right. Peer Court was started in 1992 because the Judges were handling twice the volume of Juvenile cases that they do now.
Jon,
When it was announced that the funding for Peer Court was being withheld this year I was shocked. For the reason you pointed out, high volume of juvenile cases, it would seem that the logical thing to do would be increase the load to Peer Court rather than cut the funding.
I appreciate how Karen has regrouped and been able to at least continue with her work at Placer, Del Oro, Colfax, Foresthill, and Chana High Schools.
So it's doom and gloom. I don't doubt that. But as Mr. CEO Almighty himself Tom Miller "and staff" give their report did they or not still receive raises in November? What is CEO "and staff's" total salary and benefit package? Citizens of Placer keep this in mind as you make that trek do the grandios Finance & Administration "FAB" Building and you struggle to pay your property taxes.
But it's ok, because Mr. Miller will do so without reducing services to the community (and apparently without reducing his salary.) That's just politico-speak. Of course services are being reduced when a public entity suffers such a loss in revenue he "and staff" report. Or is this another way of entrenching an excuse for not wanting to spend $$ on some things (peer court, staffing the hall, health & human service programs, or you name it) but spend $$ on other items that will advance the political careers of the big cheeses (a jail where a political voting base and city councils reside, turn-abouts and welcome signs in Tahoe, open space, & other pork barrel pet projects)? Which is it?
abc123def,
Just for the record, Peer Court gets the bulk of their support from the Superior Court. Funding for Peer Court is not a budget item for the County.
Personally, I'm pleased that we have beautiful county buildings. The quality of their construction will ensure their longevity and that means a value to the citizens for decades to come. That makes me happy.
To answer your last question; I think it's safe to say they want to do all those things you've listed.
From what I've seen, there are some great programs administered through Placer County, but unlike most other county governments, Placer has a "collaborative" approach.
This means that Health and Human Services, Probation, the Superior Courts, the County Office of Education, the Sheriff, and the D.A. each have a managerial representative who meets together twice each month to discuss better ways to provide services to the public. What comes out of those meetings saves us $$$,
Because of this regular, deliberate method of direct communication between these departments, they get many things done that would otherwise never gain any traction in most other counties.
It's easy to sit back and piss and moan about what's going on here in Placer County, but if more people actually knew what was going on they might be surprised in a good way.
Of course there is always room for improvement, and that's why they make the effort to collaborate with one another on a regular basis.
Gregcalac- thank you for the response. I completely agree. I'm sure there are many government employees regardless of rank in the pecking order who mean well and do a great job. Unfortunately for others (usually higher ups like the CEO and former Asst CEO Colwell) "collabrative" means authoritarian and career preserving politics as usualis. You scratc (vote for, fund, support, don't cause waves for me, etc) my back and I'll scratch yours. It's not pissing or moaning- its just politics and it's Placer County politics and it's how things get done in Placer. There is some good and bad that comes ot of that.
I do wonder if all low, mid, and even high level managers at the County outside of the CEO's "staff" feel the same as yoy that he, his "staff" and other department members work together in a collabrative effort or of if Almighhty himself just comes down from on high and imposes his will without truly taking into account their departmental needs and budgetary constraints or just his needs and the need to maintain power over elected officials? Again-not moaning. I just hear from different circles I guess.
Sorry for the type errors.
abc123def,
By the way, I didn't mean you are personally "pissing and moaning". I meant that in the general sense. (ie.) ...Joe and Josephine Sixpack were extremely upset!
There is no perfect way to administer government. We are at the mercy of those people put in authority over us, and we can only hope they will be people of high moral character, but often they aren't.
Also, when I said "managerial representative(s)", I wasn't even thinking about Tom Miller.
Gregcalac,
Thank you for the clarification, information, and exchange.
Of all the great things (and sometimes no-so-great-things) that the internet can bring us every day, the ability to converse freely with other people is among the greatest of all.
Whether we agree or disagree, the dialog is invaluable.
Have a great, if not wet, weekend, abc123def. ;-)