County officials want to shorten the lines by offering more services online

Why continue with the dreaded “in-line” experience of seeking county services when online access is easier for customers?

Stanislaus County’s proposed final budget, released Friday, includes $1 million for technological advancements to provide more service options for residents over the Internet.

If supervisors approve the 2015-16 budget Sept. 15, county departments will be asked to develop proposals for putting additional services online.

Some counties in California provide online services for reserving park facilities, reporting graffiti, requesting a building inspection or paying business license renewal fees.

The county’s proposed $1.1 billion budget is $15.4 million more than the preliminary spending plan approved in June and $4.6 million above the previous year’s budget.

The CEO’s office recommends an additional $3 million in one-time spending items. The proposals include refurbishments and enhancements to County Center III near Oakdale Road and Scenic Drive in Modesto and to Harvest Hall on Cornucopia Way.

The county wants to have backup emergency operations at multiple county facilities. Money also would be set aside for road improvements at the Public Safety Center on Hackett Road in west Ceres.

Jody Hayes, county assistant executive officer, said a lot of planning work remains before the county moves forward with the facility improvements.

Some additional staffing and compensation items could be incorporated in the proposed budget before the Board of Supervisors meeting Sept. 15. As of Friday, the county’s staffing allocations would increase by 14 positions, bringing the total number to 4,152.

Almost $179 million in the budget is discretionary revenue, or money that can be spent on public safety or other services at the discretion of county leaders.

This story was originally published September 7, 2015 at 9:55 AM with the headline "County officials want to shorten the lines by offering more services online."