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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02231988 - 2.3 OL BOAR® OF SUPERVISORS FROM PHIL BATCHELOR l.Jl,JI ltr County Administrator `^��Vs1G.1 DATE: February 23, 1988 C J* SUBJECT: SECOND QUARTER BUDGET REPORT FOR FY 1987/88 SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Recognize the County is facing serious financial concerns that must be dealt with in the same way the Board has taken action to deal with financial problems in the past. 2. Due to the tremendous escalation of population in the County's jails, it is critical that the County begin to plan to open and operate the new jail upon its completion, at a minimum cost of approximately $10 million a year for staff and operations. 3. Immediately approve the acquisition of certain critical equipment items to address urgent needs created by current jail overcrowding conditions, funded by previously appropriated Proposition 2 and Proposition 52 County matching funds. 4. Approve the recommendations ' contained in this report and direct the County Administrator to report back on additional steps that should be taken to resolve. the fiscal issues discussed. in the report. BACKGROUND: The second quarter report has, in the past, been the forum to explain the status of individual county budget units and recommend corrective action where necessary. This year's second quarterly report is very different than in the past due to some serious issues which are facing the County starting .next fiscal year. For that reason, a majority of this report is dedicated. to discussing next fiscal year's budget. A_ brief Summary of the status of this year's budget follows in a later section. PAST ACTIONS TO MANAGE: Although a majority of this report .concentrates on the problems, that are going to be facing the County in the near future, . it should not be overlooked that the Board has .taken many significant actions which have helped minimize the problem that the County has. A brief listing of some of the major action is as follows: 1. The Board established a contingency reserve which allowed the County to improve its bond rating., This resulted in better interest rates for borrowing and earning of more interest revenues. ` f CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _X_ YES SIGNATURE'. RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION. O BOARD. COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER- S I GNATURE THERSIGNATURE I S : ACTION OF BOARD ON February 23, 19bbRPrvnROVED AS .RECOMM EtKDED OTHER Also, the County Administrator was REQUESTED to prepare guidelines for future budget deliberations as well as a historical analysis of savings and efficiency measures insti- tuted by the County to assist the Board members in replying to 'questions from constituents and organizations relative to the County Budget. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT -- AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES' NOES.. AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: Audi tor-Control le r' ATTESTED February 23, 1988 Sheriff-Coroner PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF (Finanncece Unit)County Unit)tratOr. SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR M382/7-83 BY DEPUTY 2. Where feasible and within the Board's control, consolidations have been approved, which have saved the County money in terms of both administrative costs and avoidance of service duplication. The formation of the General Services Department is a good example of this. 3. The Board has sought out refinancing current bond issues where the refinancing could save the County money or lower current and future costs. Reference is made to the previous item on today's agenda as an example. 4. The Board has directed that layoffs occur in prior fiscal years in order to keep the budget balanced. 5. The Board has placed an increased emphasis of seeking out all new revenue sources. One very visible result of this is the initiation of new fee revenues to build courts and provide for partial operation of those courts which were initiated by the Board and authorized by the State Legislature. 6. The Board has been unable to approve many additional positions unless they were court mandated or were totally revenue offset. 7. The Board has used one-time revenue for one-time expenditures so as to not create on-going funding problems in future fiscal years. 8. The Board has adopted stringent guidelines for eligibility for County programs which have limited our expenditures in some areas. 9. The Board has approved the creation of lower paid civilian positions to replace higher paid safety positions in the Sheriff's Department, at a significant savings. 10. The Board has approved the acquisition of a new telephone system, with a projected savings of $1 million per year for each of the next ten years. 11. The Board has initiated a productivity program which allows departments to invest in money saving projects and, after the initial investment is repaid, use the money saved to support the rest of the department's budget. Without all of these significant actions and many others by the Board, the crises which the County is facing next year would be upon us right now and would be of a more severe nature looking into next year. The Board is to be congratulated for the responsible management of the County's budget. However, the challenge to continue to manage is going to be even greater in the years to come, and the Board needs to be aware of those issues. FORECAST: The forecast for the 1988-89 fiscal year is not a pleasant one. The factors influencing the forecast fall into two major categories, the first being the new jail, and the second being other major impacts. The jail issue alone creates a $10 million problem which has no identified funding source. The rest of the budget indicates a range in the problem from $7 million to $15 million next year with many of the factors influencing the range totally out of control of the Board of Supervisors. Some of the factors which influence the forecast for next year are: Revenues 1. Slow down in the growth of property tax increase from 11% to 9.5%. 2. The loss of significant sources of revenue totalling an estimated $7.6 million. Among the loss are $4.4 million from the tax loss reserve fund, $2.1 million loss in funding due to legislative changes, a $550,000 loss due to the settling of the fines and forfeitures lawsuit and the subsequent loss of revenues to the general fund. 3. A projected $2 million decrease in the fund balance for 1987-88 due to the increasingly tight nature of the operating departmental budgets. Expenditures 1. Salary and benefits for existing staff are fully funded at an additional cost of $14 million for next year. 2. The assumption is that the $9 million subsidy enjoyed by the County this year from the Retirement Board will not be repeated this year. This is due to the significant decline experienced in the stock market in October which has effected the retirement portfolio and is estimated to be at least at a $3 million loss in subsidy for the County. 3. $1 million in increased costs related to overcrowding in the County jail. -2- 4. $1.1 million increase in the County cost for aid programs provided through the Social Services Department, primarily because of the General Assistance program increases - a 100% County responsibility.. 5. $1 million increase in the amount needed for insurance purposes due to the desire to fund the County self-insured program at the least expected loss level and because of increased litigation. Legislation at that State level can positively or negatively influence the forecast which has been developed thus far. The trial court funding act revenues may be received, but if they are, they should be dedicated to addressing the County's other problems; that of the eminent opening of the County's new jail. JAIL EXPENSES - 1990 AND BEYOND The County Administrator is currently working with the Sheriff's Department to further refine the estimates for the cost of opening and operating the new jail. A workshop is planned for April 25 and specific recommendations regarding staffing will be made at that time. However, at this time, it is safe to say that the minimum expected costs for the new jail, including positions and operating costs, are at least $10 million. The extent to which current staffing additions for the Clayton Modules can be transferred to the new facility would reduce the scope of the problem. However, the fact remains that whatever the amount that is needed the current budget does not have the flexibility to pay for these costs on an on-going basis without significant reductions in all departments. Recently, the County Administrator received a report from the Sheriff which indicates that that there is a crisis within the Detention Division. This is discussed in more detail in the following scenario. The Sheriff has indicated that population increases have stretched the limits of both personnel and physical facilities beyond the point where they can be dealt with. Current projections indicate that instead of closing facilities when the new West County Justice Center opens, that all existing facilities may have to remain open in order to keep pace with the population as it is expected to be as of 1990. Given the current status of the jail population and projections which will be discussed in more detail with the Board at a later date, it is imperative that the County begin planning for the additional costs which will be inevitable when the new jail opens. It is felt that not opening the new jail will not be an option, as it would likely be ordered by the court if the County didn't do it voluntarily. The ability to control the population of the jail rests with the State legislature and in the courts. It is beyond the Board's capacity to control this issue, yet it is your responsibility for finding the funding to pay for the actions taken by the other levels of government. The bottom line on next year's budget is a serious problem which must be addressed as part of the budget process next year, and the magnitude of the problem dictates that the Board begin talking about alternatives this year. For that reason, it is recommended that the County Administrator be directed by the Board to report back to the Board in the near future recommending strenuous actions be taken to begin to address this serious financial problem this fiscal year and to dedicate any new money towards resolving the issue of the new jail. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT - 1987-88 A number of potential, problems were identified in the 1987/88 budget process and described in the first quarter report relative to the Sheriff's Department. Some of these problems, those related to the overcrowding currently being experienced in the detention facilities, need to be addressed immediately. Recommendations: A. Food Service Equipment 1 Freezer and 2, 80 gallon kettles - $30,000 At the Martinez Detention Facility, food storage and preparation was planned and designed for 386 inmates. The population is now more than double that number and there is insufficient food storage capacity to prepare the 3,000 meals a day made at that facility. The proposed solution will allow the staff to continue cooking low cost meals, such as oatmeal, soups and spaghetti, at a significant ultimate cost savings. The items can be purchased by a revision of the County's Proposition 52 application and used as part of the County's match to the State money which is expected. B. Laundry Equipment 2 Washers and 2 Dryers - $54,000 -3- The problems in the laundry are even more acute than the problems in food services. The current washers are operating 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is far beyond both the design and staff capacity. Ultimately, this results in reduced quality of laundry service, possible breakdowns, and going to a more expensive contracting situation. An alternative is to replace current equipment with new items which have double the capacity and allow later installation of the current washers and dryers in a smaller facility. This project is also eligible for Proposition 52 funding, so it is recommended that part of the County's match be used to provide this essential equipment. C. Design Space of Living Modules - $128,000 The Sheriff has requested funds to totally double bunk the entire Martinez Detention Facility, thereby eliminating all day room bunk beds. The current situation results in some inmates sleeping on the floor at times, and is an unacceptable situation. Although the beds would be installed in the Martinez Detention Facility, every effort would be made to acquire beds which could be moved to another facility when the current problem is addressed by the opening of the West County Justice Facility. Total cost of the 257 beds is $128,500. It is felt that because the problem is so severe, that this money also may come from the County share of Proposition 52 matching funds, based upon submitting an amended application to the State for these funds. D. Inmate transportation - 50 passenger bus - cost $150,000. Because of the severe overcrowding problem, staff is spending a great deal of time transporting prisoners from one facility to the next. As the number of additional unsentenced inmates living at the Marsh Creek Detention Facility increases, the transportation requirements also increase. This results in poor use of staff time because of the requirement of multiple trips. This also causes significant overtime expenditures. The additional bus is eligible for Proposition 2 funding, so it is recommended that the purchase price for the bus be immediately taken from the County's share of match monies for the new jail project, so that this problem can be addressed. It is felt that a new bus can be on-line within four months, and could provide significant immediate relief for this problem. The Sheriff outlined a number of additional issues which will be the subject of further discussion between our staffs. It was felt that the issues outlined above should be addressed immediately with funding that has already been identified for similar kinds of projects. It is recommended that the Board authorize the County Administrator and the Sheriff to proceed with the acquisition of this equipment. Other 1987-88 Budget Issues In order to understand what impact further reductions might have on this year's budget, it is important to be aware of what the current status is of all the budgets. As such, the following details are provided regarding those budgets which have been of interest previously and need to be carefully watched regardless of how the jail problem is addressed. 1. General County Revenue (Budget Unit 0005) Overall, revenues in this budget unit are being received as projected in the budget plan. The key property tax accounts are not yet known as the second payment tax receipts are not posted until May. Motor-vehicle-in-lieu tax revenue is higher than anticipated at this point and may exceed budgeted levels. Sales tax revenue is also over estimates for midyear, bolstered by a larger than normal increase in early holiday season sales. Three recent state laws are having a negative impact on supplemental property tax revenue, and may result in a $250,000 shortfall from the budgeted level. Proposition 60 and 58, passed in November 1986, limit the property values which are subject to supplemental property taxes on persons over 55 and exclude assessments for property transfers between parents and children. Another state law exempts supplemental taxes on commercial, fixtures. All these issues combine to make a shortfall appear likely. Overall, with the positive and negatives considered, it appears that this budget will meet the budget plan by the end of the year. 2. Health Services Department Overall, the various budget units within the Health Services Department are performing within the current year allocations. No major budget problems are anticipated. In fact, the Hospital Enterprise Fund expenditure level is exactly in accordance with budgeted appropriations and revenues are projected to exceed the budgeted amount. Increased revenues reflect a higher than budgeted level of in-patient activity. -4- 3. Social Service Department - General Assistance A review of the general assistance grants to individuals indicates that year-end costs will exceed budgeted levels by $50,000 to $75,000. Caseloads are a half of one percent below budgeted levels at the six-month period. The average grant amount is slightly higher than budgeted. Reimbursements from Social Security are slightly above anticipated levels, for grantees found eligible for Social Security but who received interim assistance from the County. Of greater concern is next year, which is projected to grow at a similar rate as this year, which would amount to well over $1 million in increased costs. 4. Superior Court A revenue shortfall is likely in Superior Court related to the mandates that were unfunded by the State this fiscal year. Because the ordinance reducing juror fees was enacted in mid-September, the Court was expending juror fees at the higher rate for two and one-half months. State reimbursement for these costs will not be forthcoming. Also, one-half year of the judicial arbitration program was also defunded as a mandate, and will not be reimbursed, as planned, by the State. 5. Indigent Defense Services Costs for conflict defense services continue at least at the level reached last fiscal year. The number of conflict cases continues to rise, which may lead to even higher expenditures by year-end. In addition, the recent job action by the public defenders forced the judicial appointment of private attorneys to over 500 non-conflict cases. This will significantly increase indigent defense costs. 6. Employee/Retiree Benefits This budget unit includes appropriations for retiree health insurance. Expenditure experience over this reporting period indicate that the budget target will be exceeded by approximately $250,000. The primary reason for this over-expenditure is the dramatic rise in costs for Blue Cross members, the health plan which covered most retirees. The County's new First Choice health plan option has replaced Blue Cross, mitigating this problem for the future. 7. Fines and Forfeitures Settlement of the existing lawsuit with the cities over the distribution of fines and forfeitures collected, primarily on drunk driving cases, will result in a loss of these funds to the County. Assuming a settlement in the near future, the loss of approximately $100,000 this fiscal year can be anticipated. On an annualized basis, the loss would be approximately $500,000. 8. Cost of Living Adjustments As of February 15, when this report was prepared, departmental budgets had not been increased to reflect the salary and benefits adjustments approved by your Board for this fiscal year. This factor was taken into account in reviewing the status of these budgets. An appropriation adjustment increasing budgets for this purpose is also on the agenda for February 23. The amounts recommended should fully fund the salary increases granted thus far by the Board. The amounts recommended consider savings from telephones and retirement rates as well as increases in health costs and salaries. PRODUCTIVITY INVESTMENT FUND MID-YEAR REPORT The Productivity Investment Fund (PIF) was established to stimulate County managers to explore ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations. On December 15, 1987, your Board approved $166,413 for six projects, two of which were approved in concept. These two projects will undergo a final review by the PIF Board by February 15, 1988. Departments are currently in the initial phase of implementation. A total of $68,581 of the awarded funds has been expended on various required equipment. There are no problems anticipated at this stage. During the third quarter, staff from the County Administrator's Office and the PIF Board will continue to review and monitor these projects and will be able to report on the success of project implementation as well as identify any problems. The County Administrator's Office has solicited the departments' help in managing the possible problem. To the extent that voluntary measure are successful, more formal Board action will not be necessary. -5- CONCLUSION The problems facing the County this year and in the future can only be addressed by recognizing that significant actions have to be taken and by working with the County's managers and other employees to resolve the financial issues and retain a balanced budget. In this regard, the departments will be consulted prior to my recommendations coming back to the Board. a -6-