2,300 government jobs lost in valley

If you think government doesn't do as much as it used to, you're right.

Cities and counties have shrunk by more than 2,300 employees since the recession slammed into the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Those government agencies, spanning San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties, expect to spend $618 million less on services this year than they did two years ago.

Some results: When people call, police officers might take longer to show up -- if they come at all. Parks aren't as tidy. People expect longer lines at government counters, which open later and close early. Stanislaus County libraries don't open at all anymore on Fridays and Sundays.

"I wish I could say something good and happy, but these are real tough times in government," said professor Bob Benedetti, director of University of the Pacific's Jacoby Center for Public Service, which works with local governments in search of solutions to difficult problems. "This is a time when people are asking, 'Do we need libraries and parks anymore?' "

Agencies in the three-county Northern San Joaquin Valley have downsized their staffs more than 12 percent, and some say they'll have to let go even more employees. Of those lucky enough to keep government jobs, many are bringing home slimmer paychecks after agreeing to salary cuts or, more frequently, furloughs.

Forty percent of all employees will take unpaid days off in the current fiscal year, amounting to more than 81,000 shifts. That means even longer lines and less help for the public, and more unkempt grass and deferred maintenance.

The Bee's survey covers 23 agencies responding to California Public Records Act requests, though Atwater, Dos Palos and Merced County did not respond.

Of the 23, all but three will spend more than they make this year in their general funds, which pay for traditional services such as law enforcement, firefighting and parks. Lodi and Livingston should break even, Stockton hopes to come out $100,000 ahead, and the rest are underfunded by a combined $37 million.

Most will rely on reserves for budget balancing. Over two years, the agencies will have tapped that source for $132 million, leaving only $156 million in reserve accounts, they report.

Cities and counties are cash-starved mostly because of plummeting sales and property taxes, as well as more dollars intercepted by state government. An extreme case is Los Banos, where income has dropped 35 percent in two years, from $59.6 million to $39 million.

"I am not aware of any other city that has experienced such a devastating revenue decline," City Manager Steve Rath said.

The Bee's review suggests more agencies are turning to furloughs to plug budget gaps. Last year, 4,216 employees among the 23 agencies were subjected to forced time off without pay amounting to almost 41,000 workdays, compared with more than 6,900 workers this year, resulting in 81,288 missed workdays.

Stanislaus County's across-the-board, mandatory furloughs account for more than half the total. All but one of its 3,639 employees must take off 13 nonpaid days, after negotiations with 13 employee unions conducted together, in one big room.

"The employee groups were wise enough to understand that these programs save jobs," said Jody Hayes, county deputy executive officer. The agreement may be unique because it will extend through another fiscal year, ending July 1, 2012.

It's catching on in several cities, such as Ceres, Riverbank, Turlock and Gustine, where furloughs are drastically up this year. Ordered to slice costs by 10 percent, most Ceres unions preferred furloughs, finance director Sheila Cumberland said.