By a vote of 3-2, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an amendment to the ordinance pertaining to reimbursements for grand jury members.
"The purpose for the revision to the current ordinance is to set forth and strengthen guidelines related to overnight stay and reimbursement for business meetings relative to reimbursements for meals," stated a portion of the attached agenda summary.
The compensation each grand juror receives was adjusted from $25 for each full day attendance and $10 for each half day to $25 for each full panel meeting and $10 for each committee or investigative meeting, not to exceed $25.
"Grand Jurors will be entitled to reimbursement for lunch at rates set for county employees only after a Grand Juror has attended a minimum of two hours of full panel or committee meetings, investigative sessions or other legitimate activities such as orientation sessions and training sessions," stated a portion of the revised ordinance.
"Grand Jurors conducting official business in the county seat and who reside more than 30 miles from the county seat may elect to stay overnight rather than drive back and forth to their residences and will be reimbursed for lodging and dinner costs incurred for no more than two nights per week exclusive of the State Grand Jury Training."
CEO Tom Mitchell said his office had been in contact with the grand jury in reference to their reimbursements.
"The grand jury, despite the best efforts,is projected to go over budget for this year," he said. "I think there is a philosophical difference between our office and the grand jury about how much should be available for their resources. We're limited in how much money we can provide to the grand jury. We gave the grand jury what we felt was the same treatment as other county departments."
Finley Williams, the grand jury's foreman, said travel budget overruns were inevitable.
"It is virtually impossible to calculate travel costs until we have jury selection in June," he said. "In my conversations with the CEO and staff I noted that the grand jury had overrun its travel budget for two years in a row. Some of our cost saving strategies have worked well. Others have not. Additional travel funds are needed to complete this year's work. This year we have five jurors who come from the coast. This was doomed to failure before it started."
Board Chairman and 3rd District Supervisor John Pinches said he was upset that he was previously criticized for his travel expenses by the grand jury.
"I refunded the county about $3,500," he said. "That whole process was frustrating to me."
Fourth District Supervisor Kendall Smith said she "applauded" the grand jury for seeking jurors from all parts of the county, but that budget constraints should result in more frugal spending.
"The bottom line financial issue is another matter," she said. "There's a disconnect between conveying your concerns about the funds and having funds materialize in the manner you're requesting. We've been asking department heads to do more with less for years. In respecting that we have a large county with costs of getting those jurors to the county, that's a huge challenge. Unfortunately, what needs to be looked at is the frequency of meetings or the topics. You have to balance your workload to meet the constraints of the budget...It's discretionary to have meals."
Williams said the comparison with county department heads was unfair.
"We're not employees," he said. "We're volunteers. They address these issues using their life's experiences. Most of what we investigate comes from the citizens of this county. To limit the grand jury's operations by use of the budget is something the Legislature has said will not happen. What I'm here to do today is to tell you we're going to exceed our budget."
Smith said other committees and boards around the county worked with absolutely no compensation.
"It's a difficult volunteer job so there needs to be some coverage for expense," she said. "I think we all agree with that. There are many committees who don't receive any compensation. There's a lot of that and that's what keeps Mendocino County going is that volunteer spirit."
Williams said the amount of time and work required of the grand jury members was substantial.
"It's also a state-mandated watchdog and that's a difference from some of the others," he said. "This is not a monthly meeting or bimonthly meeting. This is something where people are giving up a substantial portion of their lives."
Second District Supervisor John McCowen said more could be done to tighten the grand jury's belt.
"I disagree with your statement that you've done everything to cut costs," he said. "Rather than having to meet 50 weeks out of the year you could adjust that and have some meetings where you don't meet as frequently. I speak as a former grand juror, about 20 years ago. I think that you could have effective savings, and I do appreciate the efforts that were made to cut costs, but I think you could go further."
Williams said that pulling of the grand jury's purse strings would result in a control of what it could investigate.
"The end result of putting fiscal restraints on the grand jury translates into control of topics the grand jury covers," he said. "I want the grand jury to be able to investigate anything it deems appropriate."
Fifth District Supervisor David Colfax said the restrictions grand jurors faced dissuaded many otherwise competent candidates from applying.
"I am concerned at the directive given by the judge and given by those who come onto the grand jury saying you give up two years of your life," he said. "There aren't very many people in Mendocino County who have that luxury. There are people who would be willing to give 10 hours a week or maybe five hours per week, but when you have people taking on 20 hours a week work, you are talking about a very constricted population. My feeling here is that one of the things that's important to be doing in terms of management is what issues should be brought forward."
During public comment, Wendy Roberts, a grand juror, said it was imperative for the grand jury to continue its work.
"It is the single best job I've ever had," she said. "It's research. It's really getting to know the county, not getting bogged down in insular, little micro issues. It's very valuable stuff. I do want you to understand that you're making a long-term investment."
Mitchell said he took offense to Williams' comments and worried that this action might set a negative precedent for others.
"Watchdog is one of those buzzwords that implies we're doing something wrong," he said. "To qualify the term as watchdog is a negative termŠIf they're granted additional funds that means that one more county worker might be laid off. You cannot ignore the fact that there is not enough funds. I feel for our employeesŠWe appreciate the support of the grand jury, but perhaps we need to have a different model for how we do business."
After discussion had finished, the reimbursement amendment passed 3-2, with Pinches and Colfax dissenting.
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