Despite all the gloomy economic news, the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors adjusted the county budget upward by almost $13 million Tuesday night and approved a plan to develop an airport on the West Side.
Both votes were 5-0.
But most of the budget increase comes from state and federal sources. The bulk of the money, about $9.8 million, is for the state-mandated In Home Supportive Services program that provides household help to elderly and disabled people.
State and federal funds account for more than $8 million of the increase, and the county will make up the rest out of contingency funds. The In Home Supportive Services program has a $51.15 million budget, including the increase approved Tuesday night. The increase will fund wage increases to the IHSS workers agreed to by the county 18 months ago.
The money for IHSS was part of midyear budget adjustment that affected many county departments.
The Sheriff's Department gained $504,422, including money for equipment and training for a California ID program, and overtime and extra help for the contract cities for which the Sheriff's Department provides police services.
The Public Works Department gained $629,000 for vehicle and equipment purchases, survey services and project planning.
Other departments saw decreases, including Child Support Services, which lost $1 million, reflecting earlier layoffs; Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, down $545,701 from reductions in Medi-Cal reimbursements and other programs; and the library, which lost $303,228, reflecting declining sales tax and other budget reductions.
The county budget grew to $980.6 million, but estimated discretionary revenue, which funds such operations as the sheriff, district attorney, planning and parks departments, has shrunk by $4 million since the budget was approved in September.
That's because property tax and sales tax revenues continue to decline as property values sink and consumers curtail spending. The county is also facing cuts from the past-due state budget and a potentially large increase in pension contributions.
The county hiring freeze, in place since December, has resulted in 407 vacant positions, almost 10 percent of the 4,380 authorized county jobs.
The county is targeting 3 percent to 10 percent reductions in department budgets for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, and and wants to end this fiscal year with a $5 million reserve in its general fund, which pays for basic services, such as public safety.
The supervisors also approved a plan for a general aviation airport to be owned and operated by the county at the Crows Landing Air Facility. It would use one of the runways on the property, a former naval air base. The other runway would be used as part of the PCCP West Park LLC inland port and short haul rail system connecting the property to the Port of Oakland. West Park is proposing a 4,800-acre business and industrial park around the air facility.
The airport would be used by small private aircraft and over the next 20 years would be expanded to helicopters and corporate jets. A second parallel runway would be added as air traffic dictated, according to a staff report.
Bee staff writer Tim Moran can be reached at tmoran@modbee.com or 578-2349.
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