County department heads talk cost reductions
By ROB BURGESS The Daily Journal
Updated: 03/04/2009 12:02:57 AM PST
Department heads who overran their budgets by more than $10,000 were brought before the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Carmel Angelo, Health and Human Services Agency director, said she had "good news" for the board in that she was able to reduce the number of layoffs in her department from 29 to 10.5 due to vacancies.
"We will be laying off one supervisor to 4.5 frontline staff in Mental Health," she said. "These positions are in the crisis unit. We are providing some non-mandated coverage in Mental HealthŠIn Social Services, we will be laying off five positions instead of 15. This should leave us in the black in Social Services."
Meredith Ford, auditor/controller, said her department had reduced its shortfall from $38,000 in the mid-year budget review to $9,400 because of mandatory and voluntary time off by her staff.
"My budget is in the position it is in because of the economy," she said.
Nash Gonzalez, Planning and Building Services director, said he had three different options to close the $411,000 deficit his department faced.
"The first deals with projections and additional revenue through vehicle abatement, line item savings and cancellation of contract with existing contractor," he said. "This will leave us with $141,000 savings along with revenue. This still leaves us with a shortfall."
Gonzalez said the other two alternatives would couple the first option with an increasing number of staff layoffs.
"For alternative two, I'm also bringing to the board a reduction of five positions, which is 16 percent of my staff," he said. "This is the combination of the first alternative and the reduction of five positions.. That in itself brings it to $219,349 savingsŠThe third alternative not only looks at the first one, but also further staff reductions of an additional seven positions, plus five positions. This brings me to $321,810 (in savings) but still leaves me with a shortfall."
Gonzalez said he couldn't control the amount of money coming in the door since his department was fee-driven.
"I'm just one of the byproducts of the economy," he said. "I don't recommend any of them, but I would look at the board considering options one and two."
By consensus of the board, 3rd District Supervisor John Pinches directed Gonzalez to come back with a presentation of what option two will do and to move forward with option one.
Finley Williams, the grand jury foreman, said his department was completely out of money as of the end of March.
"The grand jury anticipated this precise situation in July of last year," he said. "We took what steps we couldŠWe have no place to cut."
Williams said the decision of whether or not the grand jury can still spend money past its allocated amount was in the hands of the judiciary.
"We're in the report-writing session of our term at this point," he said. "When those reports are completed it goes before the full panelŠWe have no profit centers."
Sheriff Tom Allman said he had warned the board during last year's budget hearings that he would be more than $2 million short, but that he had reduced costs and had halved that number.
"We are all in this together," he said. "You're not going to see anything except a team player attitude from the sheriff's department. We are the largest law enforcement agency in the countyŠThe good news is I don't think we're going to be $2.2 million short. I think we're going to be $1.1 million. We haven't reduced any services to the public. In our plans of cutting costs and cutting our services I'm going to stand in front of you that we don't have the power to cut the services we provide unless we can override the state constitution, which we don't."
Allman said cutting officers in either positions or days worked in many areas was not an option.
"I can't tell you I'm cutting $1.1 million, but I can tell you we're being a team player to reduce our costs," he said. "There is no way I can ask citizens to not call when there is a crimeŠThe bottom line is that we're trying to reduce costs. There's public safety issues that we cannot reduce at all. There are certain things that cannot be compromised, and public safety is one."
Fourth District Supervisor Kendall Smith said that even with Allman's efforts to curb excess overtime and other costs it still left a significant gap between what the county had and what it was spending.
"We have not addressed the $1.1 million shortfall," she said. "You have reduced costs, but they're not reflected in the $1.1 millionŠYou have a large budget so you have the most opportunities to cut costs. I think it's up to you to think of where you can do this. We have to find this million dollars. Everyone knows the money isn't there."
Allman said that while asset forfeitures could help reduce the cost to the general fund, he was worried about the legal implications.
"I can't give you a number and utilize asset seizures and break the law," he said. "Give me a chance to go back to our office. I may have to call some of the administrators at the federal government. In case anyone is asking, the answer is no."
The board directed Allman to continue the hiring freeze and utilize asset forfeiture for vehicle purchases.
The board decided to push further budget talks for the 2009/10 fiscal year to a special board meeting scheduled for the morning of March 16.
Rob Burgess can be reached at udjrb@pacific.net.
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_11832412
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