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Budget's shortfall forces tough decisions

Brian Wilkinson

(Updated: Friday, August 27, 2010, 12:59 PM)

The 2010-2011 tentative county budget of $186.5 million, with a shortfall of $7 million, was approved by the Board of Supervisors last Thursday.

Eric Fleming, acting county administrative officer, recommended the board continue the furlough program and hiring freeze from last year and said further cost cutting measures will be necessary.

Fleming said there is no easy way to cut $7 million out of the budget to eliminate the shortfall because the county is already operating on minimal staffing and service levels. Over the next several months he will be developing a strategic cost cutting plan.

"We hope to find ways to create efficiencies and reduce costs while minimizing the impact on staffing and preserving service levels to the public."

Fleming said the Teeter Fund has accumulated $13 million from fines and penalties since the early 90s and some of those funds could be used to close the shortfall if necessary.

He reminded the board that close to 500 county jobs have been lost over the past 18 months, almost a third of county employees.

Two CalFire stations, Ahwahnee and Raymond, will close for the winter for the second year.

County libraries are budgeted at $1.1 million, down from last year's expenditures of $1.8 million, and a $30,000 request from the Madera County Arts Council was cut from the budget.

Pam Beecher, executive director of the Madera County Arts Council, said losing the requested $30,000 in county funds now means the council will lose an additional $30,000 in matching funds from the state arts council.

"The county has reduced our ability to receive matching funds from the state," Beecher said. "The arts council has had this matching fund partnership with the county for 27 years. We sort of had the rug pulled out from under us."If we want to get state funds, we need to muster up the efforts to raise matching funds to receive the state funds," Beecher said. "If we can't come up with the funds, then we will loose the state money. I don't want all the funds going to Los Angeles County."

Beecher said people are already coming forward, interested in doing fundraisers to help the arts council raise the necessary $30,000.

"There is already a movement by people who want to help us."

"I'm not mad at the supervisors," Beecher said. "I understand they are between a rock and a hard place. The state has grabbed county funds and property taxes have crashed. Their major goal is to protect fire, police and roads and they have to borrow money."

Beecher said she has funds to get by for four months and then "things will start coming apart at the seams. I hope that is not the case due to the fundraisers already being planned."

Estimated revenues include $97.3 million, or 52% of total revenue, in aid from state and federal agencies, $37.5 million from taxes, $11.7 million from charges for county services and $10.4 million from fines and penalties.

Estimated expenditures include $55.9 million for welfare and other public assistance programs, which represents 30% of total expenditures, followed by $52.4 million for fire and police protection, $26 million for general government including salaries, benefits, services and supplies and $27.8 million for health and sanitation.

. The board will vote on the final budget Aug. 31.

Fleming told supervisors that this year's budget was a team effort and thanked his staff and department heads for their hard work in meeting the county's budget goals.