The Board is preparing a first-ever 5-year strategic plan to guide our direction and management efforts and would like your input.

We’ll post an online survey you can take between Jan. 26 and Feb. 23rd  (at www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov) and hold a series of Board meetings in each supervisorial district to hear from you.

Meetings schedule

Specifically, the Board will ask you to answer a few questions:

1. What are the greatest needs in the County now?
2. On what services should the County place highest priority now?
3. What main issues should the County be planning for in the future?
4. How should the Board go about balancing future County budgets?

For more information, please call the County Administrator’s office at 209-533-5511.

I look forward to hearing from many of you in the upcoming weeks. Thanks for your help as we work together to make Tuolumne County better for our children and our future.

Some departments will be open on an emergency basis including public safety responders (Sheriff, Fire, and Ambulance services can be reached as usual at 911).

If you have an non-public safety emergency please call Sheriff’s office dispatchers at 533-5815 and they will contact the appropriate department head.

To view a press release with additional information, click here: http://portal.co.tuolumne.ca.us/ps/psft/V1177297525/Furlough_Press_Release.pdf

Closing down between Christmas and New Years Day is expected to impact the fewest amount of residents and will save approximately $4.4 million in labor and facilities operations costs.

Merry Christmas!

Some critical county departments will remain open (see below). Inconvenient? Yes! Necessary? For sure!

As I am sure you remember, this doesn’t mean a paid vacation for county employees. This means they will not be getting paid and most county buildings won’t be heated (or open) to save a signficant amount of money due to this year’s rough budget. Thanks to all employees (and electeds) who voluntarily gave up work days to stretch the county budget.

******

County furloughs. What does this mean as far as availability of County services? When combined with the usual Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years County holiday days of November 26 and 27, December 24 and 25 and January 1, all County offices and services will be closed between November 23 and November 27, and between December 21 and January 1 with the following exceptions:

Emergency Services – Sheriff, Fire, and Ambulance

• Available as usual – 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Office functions (e.g. Civil Division of the Sheriff’s Office) will be closed

 Snow Plowing

• Services will be provided as needed throughout scheduled furlough periods.

Health & Human Services

• Child Support Services – Open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on November 23-25; December 21-23 & December 28-31.
• Social Services – Open with limited staffing
• Public Health – Open November 23-25.

Behavioral Health

• Crisis Services will be available by calling 533-7000

Tuolumne General Medical Facility: Skilled Nursing Facility

• Available as usual – 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Fiscal Services – Clerk/Auditor/Controller, Treasurer/Tax Collector & Recorder

• Open November 23-25 from 9:00 am–1:00 pm
• Open December 21-23 & December 28-31 from 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Animal Control

• Open November 23-25, but closed on November 28.
• Emergency on-call available November 26 & 27.
• Open December 21-23 & December 28-31 & January 2.
• Emergency on-call available December 24 & 25 and January 1.

Office of County Counsel, District Attorney’s Office and Office of the Public Defender

• County Counsel – Staff on-call to handle unscheduled court appearances.
• District Attorney’s Office – Open November 23-25 & December 21-23 & December 28-31.
• Public Defender’s Office – Open November 23-25 & December 21-23 & December 28-31.

If members of the public have questions about office closures prior to the furlough days, they should call the appropriate department directly or the County Administrator’s Office at 533-5511. If an emergency need for service arises between November 23 and November 27 or December 21 and January 1, please call the Sheriff’s Department at 533-5815 who will contact the appropriate department staff on your behalf.

Before I go into bad news, I have to say that you are amazing! I’ve been working with leaders of the local safety net programs to make sure that critically important basic needs programs continue to feed, clothe, and house the increasing number of people impacted by the depressed economy. The Sonora Area Foundation came to one of our meetings and based on what they heard, put together half a million dollars (including $250,000 in matching funds). These went directly to some key providers to supplement their strained budgets. Now that’s more like it!

Back to ballet slippers. As I write, ATCAA is scrambling to put together a grant application for major stimulus bucks to provide computers, training, and jobs in our county. A major broadband grant was awarded to a local internet service provider. In addition, a project I have been trying to get funded since elected is on the ATCAA list likely to be funded by the federal government: live streaming video of Board of Supervisors meetings AND software that will make it possible for you to download staff memos and attachments to Board agenda items. Before meetings you will be able to read everything the Board has in front of them and afterwards, you will be able to listen and replay exactly what is said and done by every supervisor and every staff member. This will be a great advance of transparency in county government.

Meanwhile back in the soup kitchen, we approved a draft budget in June – that was good, but it wasn’t all good. In order to do that, significant cuts were made in some existing services. As the economy fell, we reduced the budget accordingly. By the end of June, we had cut over 100 positions (in the last year, both vacant and filled, including privatized services like Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice). That’s a lot of local jobs and services and we’re still not down to where we will have to be to maintain a balanced budget when the state passes its budget. After we learn the extent to which the state will take local revenues, we’ll be able to adjust again and adopt a final budget. The news from Sacramento is not good. We anticipate a raid on your tax dollars that now go to Roads and other general fund departments, not to mention reductions in all the Health and Human Services departments.

The Library Department in District 3 alone took a huge hit. The Pinecrest and Mi-Wuk Village library branches have closed and it is only due to the commitment and generosity of community members that Mi-Wuk will re-open their building on a limited basis as a community center/private lending library for the next year. For now, the Tuolumne and Twain Harte libraries are safe. The WOW bookmobile’s time on the road has been cut and its regular driver’s position eliminated. We are looking into reinstating her ½ time as a result of interest from several service clubs in keeping that service going. Amazing! Our draft budget keeps Recreation programs functioning until the end of September. We’re figuring out how to keep youth centers open beyond then and reopen pools next summer. Talks are proceeding in Tuolumne and Twain Harte with community members and groups who are interested in helping that happen. That’s amazing too.

The Board is mindful of the priorities many of you expressed in my Listening Sessions: Public Safety and Roads. We haven’t cut a single filled Sheriff’s Deputy position and hopefully will not. Fire services are intact at last year’s level now, but as you know that isn’t saying a whole lot. Solving the Fire coverage issue is on our list of serious issues to address when we get the budget approved. Public Works’ Road budget is at risk to be raided by the state, perhaps by as much as $1.5 million a year. If that happens, the funds the state takes are the ones available to fix potholes and do snow plowing. Not good.

On the bright side, as the state is taking away money, the federal government made stimulus funds available (no matching dollar requirements) for us to purchase two new transit buses. These trolley buses, purchased with the federal government’s money, were looked at by some as a very frivolous expenditure in the present economy, but they were actually a better deal than regular buses. They cost slightly less than regular buses, cost the same to maintain, and will replace two of our aging fleet that needed to be retired. All that and tourists are supposed to like them better too! Ballet slippers again.

Incredibly, the state government at the time of writing, has not approved a budget. We’ve reduced the county budget significantly in anticipation, cutting whatever we can in advance and steeling ourselves for what is inevitably to come. From everything I have heard, “local government” will bear the burden of most of the cuts. I beg to differ. Local government will survive – it’s real people who will suffer. And that’s a pity.

Please call if you have questions or comments about the necessary budget cuts we will be making. You can contact me at 533-5525. I may not have a lot of good news for you, but if you’d like to meet with me in your community, my District Office Hours are:

August

• Weds., Aug. 5, 2009, 10:00 – 11:30, Tuolumne Museum, Carter Street, Tuolumne
• Weds., Aug. 12, 2009, 10:00 – 11:30, Twain Harte Community Service District, Twain Harte Drive, Twain Harte
• Weds., Aug. 19, 2009, 1:00 – 2:30, Mi-Wuk Village Community Center and Private Lending Library, next to the Post Office

September

• Weds., Sept. 2, 2009, 10: 00 – 11:30, Tuolumne Museum, Carter Street, Tuolumne
• Weds., Sept. 9, 2009, 10:00 – 11:30, Twain Harte Community Service District, Twain Harte Drive, Twain Harte
• Weds., Sept. 16, 2009, 1:00 – 2:30, Mi-Wuk Village Community Center and Private Lending Library, next to the Post Office

Like you the county is dancing in new ballet slippers, but still hungry. That’s just wrong.

Are you concerned about proposed county budget cuts that may impact Tuolumne Recreation, Library, Youth Center, and other important services? Do you have a creative alternative for the county to consider?

The Tuolumne Township Citizen’s Group will host an informational meeting tonight with Teri and County Administrator Craig Pedro to review next year’s budget and the proposed service cuts necessary to make sure the county’s budget remains balanced.

Tuolumne County Budget Town Hall Meeting
Monday, June 8th, 2009, 7:00 pm
Tuolumne Veterans Memorial Hall

Tuolumne County Administrator Craig Pedro will discuss the economic conditions that led to the crisis, answer questions, and present a best-guess estimate of anticipated revenues from the state (a general prediction given ongoing state budget discussions). He’ll also share his proposed draft 2009/2010 budget – including cuts – to be considered by the Board of Supervisors the following day.

Teri is seeking serious, creative, and community-supported ideas on how to continue some at-risk programs. Community volunteer coordinators will also attend and hand out information on their efforts to extend safety net services and enlist volunteers to help out.

Please join us for this important opportunity to be part of the solution for Tuolumne, District 3, and the county.

For more info, contact Teri at 533-5525 or email info.

We have directed the county administrator to try to keep some of these at-risk services going for now, but there will still be huge losses in terms of county programs (and huge losses to our residents). We will lose more of our families who will go to other areas to find work. But contingency planning with a caring community is a critical component to minimizing losses and making it through what’s coming.

Craig Pedro, county administrator, recently wrote about the proposed reductions to the recreation program:

•  The direction the Board provided staff on Tuesday was for construction of a preliminary budget which includes full year funding for operations of Standard Park (e.g. soccer, little league, high school baseball and softball, adult softball, etc.) and all three Youth Centers (i.e. Groveland, Jamestown and Tuolumne).
• The Board also provided direction that funding be provided for all Summer 2009 recreation programs and all other base Recreation staff through September 2009.
• During the final budget hearing to be held in August 2009, the Board will be able to reassess what additional cuts the state will be imposing on county government as well as consider updates on all other County revenues and expenses. With that completed, the Board will consider further changes (additions and/or deletions) to the actions contained in the preliminary budget.
• The Board has gone on record that public safety is one of its top priorities, but I know all of the members highly value recreational services as well. I believe that tension is evident in the direction the Board gave staff on Tuesday which preserved more recreational programs at the expense of public safety services. In fact, the preliminary cuts to public safety services ($834,689) out weigh those proposed to recreational services ($318,284) and library services ($293,000) combined.

Over a year ago I asked District 3 residents to help prioritize the most important services for the county to maintain if we had budget difficulties. The top priorities were public safety – police and fire – and roads (expressed by those who attended listening sessions and/or responded to the poll on my website). Largely as a result of District 3 input and what other supervisors were hearing, the county added three deputies last fall. Things have gotten slightly better since, although they are nowhere near where they should be for us to feel totally safe. Given Board direction to balance the cuts, the county is now reevaluating if we can afford to apply for a COPS grant to put resource officers back in the schools. The grant would provide three years of guaranteed funding, but we have to determine if we can fund the fourth year, as required by the federal government as grantor.

It is an inescapable fact that people direct much of their anger at the Board of Supervisors since we are the ones you talk to and see day to day, but let the Governor and our legislators know about your displeasure, as well. In addition to a slow economy, blame for the cuts rests firmly on the shoulders of Sacramento where they refuse to delay implementation of some expensive programs unrelated to basic human needs and are STILL passing similar legislation with funding requirements - even as they promise to take money from schools, cities, counties, and special districts. A part of the blame also belongs to “we the people” for our apathy and for voting to approve statewide ballot propositions with big costs and that guarantee large portions of the state general fund are diverted to fund them.

Are there areas in the county budget that can/should be cut? Yes, and we are doing that. Are there areas in the county budget that will have to be cut that shouldn’t be? Sadly, yes. The county has taken some unpopular actions in the last three years to cut services we could no longer afford, but we must be good budgetary stewards. The state will now have to do the same and it will hurt here at home.

So, there’s plenty of blame to go around, but after expressing it we must move on to develop contingency plans for community solutions. There’s a leadership role if you are willing to assume it. You can be a model. What’s coming – and some fear it may be like the Depression – will require that. The opportunities to demonstrate through example will be many.

Over seventy-five people representing local government and nonproft safety net providers met several months ago with members of faith-based and service organizations to identify upcoming crises precipitated by the downturn in the economy and looming budget cuts. Now, a group is working to set up community gardens and build local food networks, another is cutting wood for next winter that will be available to people needing energy assistance, the Sonora Area Foundation is in the process of raising $500,000 to go to four local safety net provider organizations to help people in need, and we are looking for ways to develop emergency homeless shelters and transition facilities for families who will need a place to live while they save money to get into a rental home. These are a few of the efforts already under way, but there are many others either planned or waiting to be imagined and taken up by caring communities.

If you have ideas for volunteer-run solutions, please click on post a comment below and I will contact you to follow up. For example, we’ve talked of keeping two county pools open in the summer of 2010 – one of them would be in District 3 in Tuolumne – so that kids can be taught to swim and have some recreation opportunities. We will need help to do that after this summer. Some leaders in Twain Harte are talking about raising funds to keep their pool open and Mi-Wuk Village leaders are talking about raising funds for their library. 

Hang in there, friends. It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better, but we have within us the skills, abilities, and compassion to make it through together. Those of you who pray might ask that we’d be guided by wisdom and compassion in all our decisions and that the communities will rise up to help. Finally, I anticipate a lot of folks will show up at the Board meeting at 9:00 am on the 9th of June to lobby for their favorite programs – a strong showing from District 3 would be good.

The recent frenzied cadence of political drum-beating cannot have escaped your attention. California finally has a budget. A VERY controversial budget.

Amid partisan and special interest outcry that oxen are being permanently crippled and worse, both the Senate and Assembly narrowly passed the proposed budget at the last possible moment. Not only is the budget untenable to many, it relies on very shaky and unpopular ”fixes” that may not pass muster in a special election in May.

But it is a budget. And it passed.

Tuolumne County considered and approved our own mid-year budget revisions yesterday based on previous projections - not on the approved state budget. Why? Because first of all, no one is yet sure how state programs will pass on revenues and cuts to local governments. We’re all making our best guesses and waiting for things to be worked out.

For now, our projections that revenues would further drop have been borne out, but we’ve made the necessary reductions to live within our means. Two people were laid off yesterday and an already low contingency fund is now gone. Further cuts will follow and without any contingency fund to fall back on, the next round will be more painful. But if you can believe it, we’re fortunate. Other local jurisdictions? Not so much – just watch the news.

The only “good” thing about the state budget is that it means money will once again start flowing to cities, counties, schools, and special districts. The California State Association of Counties said last week:

“California counties appreciate the action taken by the Legislature today to approve a budget that has a balanced approach. We know that there is much to dislike in this budget, including significant cuts in services. However, a budget resolution allows the state’s economy to begin to recover and eases the cash crisis that has crippled counties’ ability to provide vital federal- and state-mandated health and human services to people who desperately need them.

Like the state, California counties are in a fiscal crisis. Counties across the state are taking dramatic steps to resolve their budget shortfalls, while experiencing declining revenues and skyrocketing caseload increases. In addition, counties are not receiving nearly $270 million this month for social services due to payment delays by the state controller because of the state’s cash crisis. California counties appreciate the Legislature’s recognition that counties cannot sustain the demand for safety net services alone and that further delay in finding a budget resolution would drastically affect the people we serve.”

Learn more on what California counties are facing at: http://www.csac.counties.org/.

The budget adopted under duress by the Legislature is almost universally disliked by Republicans and Democrats. As proper analysis is done, we’ll find much more to dislike. Here in Tuolumne County and elsewhere in the state, we’ll readjust in April and readjust again in May after the election. More cuts are sure to come.

Unbelievably and as if none of this had happened, some members of the Legislature are already putting forward new bills to regulate lives, industries, and spend our money. Business as usual.

Something’s gotta change and if this keeps up, it very well may. We can only hope and pray.

The beat goes on…

Buchanan Road update

A project team from the Federal Highway Administration gave the Board an update on the timeline for improvements to Buchanan Road, a forest highway that winds from Tuolumne down into the Tuolumne River Canyon and beyond.

Why Buchanan Road? It’s been on the USFS’ list of forest roads for improvement for years. The list of problems includes too-narrow, poor drainage from road and ditches, steep grades, sharp curves, no guardrails in dicey spots, crumbling pavement, substandard sight distances, roadside hazards, landslide and slope stability issues, and a bridge they classify as functionally obsolete. Is that all?

The Federal Highway Administration team will consider a range of alternatives including no action. The project is being split into segments: the “urban” (through Tuolumne, canyon, Buchanan Mine Road bridge, and Fish Hatchery Road sections. They heard significant concern from local residents and this supervisor about plans to widen the road in Tuolumne. Consequently, they have revised the width in that section to “two 10-foot travel lanes, 2-foot shoulders, and concrete curbs.”

The team is in the process of completing the environmental analysis (expected to be released in late spring 2009). To keep current on what is being proposed and comment, visit the project website at www.cflhd.gov/buchanan  or call Wendy Longley at (720)963-3394

Teri’s website and blog are published at no expense to the the public.  Teri Murrison for Supervisor, FPPC#1314234

Do you feel strongly about this county service (in support or otherwise)? Would you like to be heard by the Board? I’ve spoken out, now it’s your turn.

Unless there is a low snow, snowplowing is largely a District 3 concern.  Your testimony will help the Board better understand how it impacts you.  

The item is on the agenda again tomorrow and will be discussed between 9 am and noon in the Board Chambers on the 4th floor at 2 South Green Street in Sonora.

District Office Hours

Every month I hold office hours out in the District. Please stop by and say hello.

• Thurs., Feb. 12 at the Twain Harte Community Services District from 10-11:30,
• Fri., Feb. 20 at the Mi-Wuk Village Library from 1-2:30 pm, and
• Weds., Mar. 4 at the Tuolumne Memorial Museum from 10-11:30.

District office hours are a great opportunity to sit down and talk about your concerns in an unhurried and local setting.

I’ll save most of my comments for now, but I can’t help but wonder if the majority leaders in the Assembly and Senate capitulated and “cooperated” with the minority on the certainty that the budget would come back very soon with proposed tax increases.

Nah…. they wouldn’t do that. Would they? Oh how I hope Prop 11 did indeed pass!

Everything is still in flux as the legislature considers what to cut. In the meantime, the special interests will be lobbying, legislators will be posturing, and frankly, this county and every other one in the state will be scrambling to maximize the amount of money that is allowed to dribble back home so we can continue providing the services you need and expect.

This afternoon I’m meeting with a homeowners group to answer to: “What do we get from the county for the taxes we pay?” If they aren’t happy now, just wait until I share the latest. Oh joy! Suffice to say, this is very bad news. Good thing we held off on approving our final budget until Nov. 18th – it’s going to have to change.

If you are concerned about a specific state budget issue, please contact Senator Dave Cogdill and Assemblyman Tom Berryhill. I plan to do the same. And if you’re a praying person, that might not be a bad idea too.

The Executive Director of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) put out the following this morning.

November 6, 2008

Governor Schwarzenegger Calls Special Session to Address State’s “Revenue
Problem”, Proposes Significant Program Reductions, New Revenues

That dark cloud you felt pass over the state this morning was the announcement
by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that the state’s 2008-09 budget was
$11.2 billion in the red. The Governor announced a special session of the Legislature
to address the budget crisis, as well as an economic stimulus plan, the near-insolvent
unemployment insurance fund, and the foreclosure crisis. The Legislature has
until November 30 to act on the Governor’s proposal.

Department of Finance Director Mike Genest noted today that the state’s
cash flow situation is dire, with barely enough cash to make it through December
and no available cash in January and February. Today’s proposals must
be enacted quickly to ensure that the state can continue to pay its bills.

It was interesting to note the Governor’s perspective on the state’s
current fiscal crisis. He was careful to explain to reporters that he
believed that, due to the upheaval of the financial markets, the state was
experiencing a revenue problem, and that, while he generally did not support
tax increases, he recognized that the current situation required extraordinary
remedies.

To quickly summarize the components of the Governor’s proposal:

• $4.5 billion in program reductions, including reductions to K-12
  and higher education, modifications to CalWORKs, elimination of SSI/SSP
  grants, implementing a one day per month furlough plan for state
  employees, parole reforms for low-risk non-serious offenders, realignment
  of funding for local public safety programs, elimination of Medi-Cal optional
  benefits, and reduction of Medi-Cal benefits to minimum levels.
• $4.7 billion in
  new revenues, including a temporary sales tax increase of 1.5 percent,
  broadening the sales tax base to include appliance and furniture
  repair, vehicle repair, golf, and veterinarian services, a new oil severance
  tax, and an increase in the alcohol tax of five cents per drink.
• An economic
  stimulus plan to include: acceleration of hospital construction by
  streamlining the permitting and review process, acceleration of Proposition
  1B bond spending, provide overtime exemptions to certain professional jobs,
  allow flexible work schedules, clarify meal and rest period laws, and provide
  a targeted tax credit to the film and television industry.
• A plan to
  shore up the Unemployment Insurance Fund by increase employer contributions,
  reducing benefit levels, and taking out a federal loan to ensure
  funding in the interim.
• A foreclosure relief plan that includes a 90-day stay
  of the foreclosure process, a “safe harbor” if lenders can prove
  that they have an aggressive loan modification program in place,
  as well as reforms to prevent a future mortgage crisis.

The Governor and legislative leaders have previously announced the formation
of the Commission on the 21st Century Economy to provide options for
modernizing the state’s tax system.