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Fewer Staff Positions in Humboldt’s ‘Status Quo’ Budget · KMUD News

• 0:00
  Speaker A: Humboldt County's budget has a $12 million deficit that will be covered by forwarding a fund balance built up previously, but that approach is not expected to be sustainable. At its June 3 meeting, the county's Board of Supervisors discussed and took some preliminary actions on the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The $629 million budget is described by staff as a status quo budget with fewer staff positions and no room for the additional funding requests departments have made in previous years. In addition to covering the deficit, the fund balance forwarding will allow contributions to the county's general reserve and deferred maintenance funds. But Deputy County Administrative Officer Jessica Maciel said a five year budget forecast shows expenditures are expected to outpace revenue Revenue growth the county's number of full time employees under the budget is 2,237. Maciel described how it's a decrease and how staffing has significantly decreased in two major departments, the Department of Health and Human Services and Planning and Building.
• 1:17
  Speaker B: This is a decrease of 108.6 positions, or 4.6% over the prior year adopted positions due to negative fund balances and restructuring of the majority of this reduction is in DHHS. DHHS deallocated 98.9 positions, or 7.2% over the department's fiscal year 2425 positions. In addition, Planning and Building has made significant reductions over the last two years in this budget. They have deallocated 12 positions, or 18.4% over the department's 202425 positions and in the 2425 budget they deallocated seven positions. So in two years they have reduced from 72 to 53 positions.
• 2:05
  Speaker A: During a public comment period, County Sheriff Billy Hansel acknowledged the staffing reductions and lobbied for staffing to support an across the board need upkeeping county buildings and facilities.
• 2:18
  Speaker C: This has been a challenging year, but we've all kind of tightened our belts and we've worked together to try and make sure that this happens. It does hurt because we've all reduced services, we all have cut positions and those kind of things, but we all know that we're in this together. One thing that I want to echo what Supervisor Madrone said is that public works and building maintenance is failing within the county and so we need to put money into this and getting the engineers, getting the architects in place. We've had several building projects, the sheriff's office that have been delayed for five plus years and we can't get done because higher priority emergency projects are always coming up and that's what the priorities are something's falling apart, something's falling down, and so we need to make that as the emergency. But in reality, we need to put maintenance into our structures in order for us to save money in the long term.
• 3:07
  Speaker A: Hansel added that county departments have been fiscally responsible, and he asked that a hiring freeze be lifted. Supervisors have been routinely approving exemptions from the freeze and agreed it should be lifted. Supervisors agreed to consider the staffing for facilities maintenance in the near future. The board also decided to approve Measure O roads and transit tax funding for administrative staffing. Measure O is expected to generate $27 million a year in revenue, and Supervisor Steve Madrone said having enough staff in place will allow the county to deliver the road and transit projects it's promised.
• 3:49
  Speaker D: We're going to have to be really careful to deliver, just like with Measure Z. And I think we've done a great job with Z. We can always do more public information outreach on how the money is truly going to public safety. And so that people really see that with Measure O, we are going to have an annual report from the audit, auditing committee or whatever about where did the money go? And that's great, but I think, you know, as we're delivering, there's nothing better than really informing the public about what we're delivering and also having a robust staffing situation to be able to deliver, you know, and to fulfill the promise. And as Tom said, he has high confidence of the ability to actually deliver all these projects. But I assume that includes if we have the proper staffing in place to actually manage, administer, contract, and do all these things.
• 4:42
  Speaker A: Supervisors unanimously voted to approve lifting the freeze and funding Measure O staff positions. Other actions included various fund transfers and continuance of voluntary unpaid furloughs. Final approval of the budget is set for June 24th. In Eureka for KMUD news, this is Daniel Mintz.