After a week of emotionally charged budget hearings, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved a $780 million budget on June 12. The board also approved eliminating 146 county staff positions.
Faced with a looming, multi-million-dollar deficit, the board had advised county departments to make 10 percent cuts across the board, but ended up restoring more than $4 million in funds to a group of departments, including the Sheriff’s Department, County Counsel, the District Attorney’s office, and probation.
On a split decision, the board also voted to give the county’s Planning and Development Department almost $200,000 more than officials had asked for.
The decision didn’t make sense to 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray, one of the two dissenting votes.
“Other than that, I think the restorations of funds was logical,” she said. “But they’re probably not fundable because of what’s happening at the state level.”
According to Gray, the state told county officials after the budget hearings that it will essentially take the county’s portion of Highway Users Tax Account funds—what Gray calls the “gas tax”—to close California’s almost $25 billion deficit.
State-mandated deferment of portions of the county’s gas, transportation, and property taxes could total as much as $20 million, Gray said.
Based on these events, she elaborated, the county’s approving a budget was “probably all for naught, because we’re going to get another $20 million reduction from the state.”
More budget cuts could lead to more department reductions or more jobs eliminated.
Gray added that the League of California Cities and League of Counties are busy working on a response protesting the state’s demands. The board is expected to follow suit.
—Amy Asman
This article appears in Jun 18-25, 2009.