The Mendocino County budget is balanced, with $7 million in one-time funds. The general fund allocation is $86.4 million, while non-departmental revenue, excluding one-time funds, is $79.3 million. The county is deferring about $2.2 million, and deleting 142 unfilled positions.
CEO Darcie Antle listed some of the difficulties in presenting a balanced budget this year, including “State budget deficit, flat revenues and this board’s goal to support their most valuable resource by approving market wage increases with a $9 million dollar impact over three years.”
This is the second year in a row that the budget has relied on $7 million in one-time funds, as Supervisor Ted Williams pointed out. He was the lone dissenting voice when it came time to approve the CEO’s proposed budget and accept the recommendations. He told his colleagues that, “The two concerns for me that I would that I would need addressed in order to support this budget are, one, what we’re going to do about the Assessor’s needs so that we can begin catching up on revenue and, second, at least a plan to not use one-time money. We can’t be living on one-time money. It’s not responsible. And here we are again at about $7 million dollars one-time money.”
Supervisor Dan Gjerde countered the grim projection by noting that, “Through efforts that were ongoing throughout the current fiscal year,” just $2 million of the $7 million in one-time funds that were allocated for this year have been spent.
There is also much anticipation for June of 2027, when, according to acting Auditor Controller Treasurer Tax Collector Sarah Pierce, the pension obligation bonds will be paid off, freeing up $8 million a year.The money will be available for a combination of general and non-general fund purposes.
Kelly Hansen, with the county’s division of grants, told the board that her department has applied for grants totaling $66 million. She listed some that have borne fruit.
“FEMA/CalOES has already awarded the county $345,000 for the required update of the Mendocino County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. And we are expecting, any minute now, an award from the Department of Water Resources for a little over $280,000 for a flood emergency response grant program. This would fund a local emergency flood program, emergency plan updated maps, emergency communications equipment for the EOC and placement of flood flight containers throughout the county, which would include Laytonville, Hopland, Ukiah and Point Arena. They would be located strategically at our fire departments.”
Chief Probation Officer Izen Locatelli provided detailed information about how decisions at the state level are affecting his budget. He runs the juvenile hall as well as both adult and juvenile probation. While 65% of the budget for juvenile hall is covered by the general fund, the situation is reversed for probation, with 68% of the expenses covered by non-general fund sources.
He told the board this makes his operation especially vulnerable to vagaries in Sacramento. He said that according to Governor Gavin Newsom’s May budget revision, $100,000 will be swept from the Community Corrections Partnership, a probation program that includes many other local agencies. He is losing $40,000 from the post-release community supervision program, for people recently let out of state prison, and, over the course of two years, $95,000 from another reallocation of funds. He assured the board that he and allies at the state, including Senator Mike McGuire, are fighting provisions of Senate Bill 678, which he says would reduce his probation budget by 67%, or $392,000. Locatelli added that he can only maintain the current level of services for another year under SB 678. Probation has had a $718,000 increase in staffing costs, though he has not added staff.
Patrick Hickey, the field representative for SEIU 1021, cautioned the board about the long-term effect of eliminating unfilled positions.
“What programs and services will the county be canceling or reducing with this dramatic reduction in positions?” he asked. “It’s unrealistic to think that technology and increased efficiency will make up the difference…Things will take longer. Response times will suffer. Roads will continue to deteriorate…One need only look at the recent Grand Jury report that once again highlights the challenges faced by Family and Childrens’ Services, because of short Staffing…Social Services, as the largest department, takes the biggest hit with 42 positions being cut. Ten being social workers and social worker supervisors. Public Health is second with 23 positions eliminated. The Department of Transportation is a close third with 22 positions eliminated…As we shrink our staffing, we must also reduce our expectations.”
One item that the board added after a brief lunch was an award of $60,000 from the PG&E carbon reduction fund over the course of two years to the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, a special district that does not receive funding from parcel taxes or fees.
Though this year’s budget hearings wrapped up after one day instead of the two that had been set aside for the purpose, budget-related items can be expected to appear on the board’s agenda throughout the year. Pierce expects the ACFR, or annual comprehensive financial report, to be available by June 25th, but she probably won’t know what the carry-forward from last year is until the first quarter of the new fiscal year.
There was a BOS meeting showing which departments were over/under budgeted. Perhaps Sarah could fill us in on those departments.
So, they’re balancing the plan by taking reserves that just six months ago they didn’t believe existed. They’ve given massive pay increases, ensuring the budget pressure grows. Gjerde is once again giving his sketchy financial advice and being quoted. They’re banking on grants coming down from a broke state of California. And they’re banking on redirecting funds that go towards containing pension costs to go to other places in the future, that will then be consumed by rising pension costs.
Whats way more interesting and expensive for the County was an obscure special meeting they had a week or two ago. With no robust discussion, written reports, financial or critical analysis, the Board signed off on a master tax sharing agreement, countywide. After one meeting. Ukiah, no doubt salivating at the chance to annex the Thurston Auto Plaza is now poised to make that grab, and transition to take that tax revenue stream in whole in as soon as five years. The County, protected by state law, can only lose this tax revenue through a “tax sharing agreement” which they just did! Its now in the hands of LAFCo and out of the Board’s! Its a sure financial loser for the County, but the water will only get to a boiling point as early as 2029, when most of the current clowns will be replaced by a new set of amnesiac clowns. Big win for Ukiah, and good for them. If you don’t already, move into one of the incorporated cities quick! The current Board has basically given up on trying to make the County system work on any level.
Well… as long as the citizens are breaking the records for the most overdoses per capita it’s all good. Putting Mendo on the map… Born, raised and embarrassed by this clown show of a county. Oh maybe next year Hopland can hold a Mendo Pride event for all the heroin addicts and pill poppers. The main focus will be inclusion…
And by the way what happened to the 22 million pg and e awarded redwood and potter valleys for the 2017 fires. Never saw any accounting for it. Over 40 thousand per structure. My home burned just wondered were it went. Called our supervisor 10 times no reply