Tuolumne Supervisors To Review Proposed 15% Cuts

Sonora, CA — Non-public safety department heads in Tuolumne County government have made recommendations on how to cut costs by 15% in order to reduce budgetary shortfalls.

The directive was given at the most recent board of supervisors meeting in January and what the department heads came up with will be reviewed by the board on Tuesday

Departments excluded are the sheriff’s office, public defender, county counsel, probation, district attorney, and animal control.

The cost-cutting mechanisms by the other departments will be discussed at this Tuesday’s meeting, with the department heads on hand to answer any questions, and receive further direction. The meeting starts at 9 am.

Other topics will be increasing fire fees, joining a Pioneer Community Energy Community Choice Aggregation Program, and expanding the current operating hours at the AN Francisco Building.

The 15% cut proposals are detailed below, per the board meeting documents:

Assessor-Recorder:

• Assessor-Recorder:
• Implement DA Fraud program with revenue
• Assessment roll integrity is at risk and Recorders Office may fail to be open on all non-banking holidays and/or meet 48-hour mail-back requirement

Archives:

• Increased revenue for storage of Opioid litigation records

Auditor-Controller / Clerk:

• Delays in the following internal services to the organization: Mandated services, payroll, bill paying, posting credit cards, journals, and cost allocation Plan/A-87 process with vendor
• Departments will now require scheduled appointments, rather than immediate responses
• State reporting, including State Controller’s reports may be delayed
• Financial Statements will continue to be late

Treasurer-Tax Collector:

• Increase revenue reimbursed from pooled fund earnings for Treasurer’s investment admin costs (per GC Sec 27013)
• Cancel new TOT Ordinance enforcement measures
• Eliminate billing & collection software and services provided to: Sheriff (parking tickets, livescan, false alarm, coroner), CDD (home loans, environmental health, code compliance, cannabis, hazmat), CAO (business loans), Fire Dept, Animal Control, Probation, CHP, Pine Mtn Lake HOA, City

Board of Supervisors:

• No leadership/facilitation contract or strategic plan update
• Reduced administrative support to Board of Supervisors—will have capacity to work on Board meeting mandated tasks only

County Administrator:

• Reduced training/conference attendance
• Reduced capacity for projects, legislative advocacy and recommending elimination of Committee on Aging

Office of Emergency Services

• Minimal ability to open warming/cooling centers & shelters
• Charging cost of Everbridge and some OES Assistant Director’s time to Homeland Security Grant Program (ongoing funding)

Business Assistance & Innovation:

• Reducing Placer IA software

Tuolumne County Water Agency/Natural Resources:

• Not attending ACWA conference

County Counsel:

• All attorneys will reallocate workload and take on additional administrative duties
• Workload will be prioritized based on tasks with deadlines, such as dependency court, conservatorships, Care Court, litigation, including overseeing outside counsel’s work on covered litigation
• Community Development and Public Works project reviews will be extended

Human Resources:

• To ensure continuity of services the department must transition its tertiary functions to other departments and will increase the scope of existing contracts and absorb the increase in associated costs of doing so;
• Timelines will be extended for all non-emergency services including phone and e-mail responses to both internal and external customers;
• There will be no reception/counter service or dedicated staff to answer the main phone line;
• The department will increase its centralization & streamline its processes; less flexibility to internal customers;
• Also anticipating increases in workload in the navigation of the complex processes of legal compliance, placement services, labor relations and emotional impacts of a reduction, as well as the long-term impacts of a reduction, including the increased need for performance management, employee support, and workforce resiliency services.

General Services Agency:

GSA:

• Reduced training and operating supplies expenses

Radio:

• Reduction in operating supplies/expenses

IT:

• Postponement of various IT projects including security projects, WiFi access point refresh, upgrades to Signal Service alarm system, various department software implementations and hardware upgrades/replacements for all departments
• IT Service Desk requests will be delayed for all non-public safety departments and only public safety departments will have after-hours support • Network Access Request Form processing will require 7-day notice
• Physical moves will require 14-day notice

Housekeeping:

• All 24-hour County Buildings will receive full housekeeping services
• Publicly-utilized buildings will receive only trash service, vacuuming/mopping and restroom cleaning
• All other County buildings will receive restroom/kitchen and entrance cleaning. No trash removal will be provided.

Maintenance:

• Work will be prioritized by the following: Life & Safety • Infrastructure protection • Preventative maintenance
• On-call response limited to emergencies
• Eliminate Tuolumne Parks and Recreation District contract
• Eliminate chemical testing and emergency pool services
• No longer assisting with office moves, furniture assembly or mounting wall hangings

Ag Commissioner & Weights and Measures:

• Biennial inspections for Williamson Act will stop, as well as confirming non-compliance inspections  Inspection frequency for mandated Pesticide Use Enforcement and Weights & Measures will be delayed
• Annual mandated crop report data collection and statistical data collecting will slow
• Noxious and Invasive Weed eradication program (non-mandated) will be eliminated

Community Development Department:

• Housing policy and support functions will be reassigned to a Planner position, resulting in a reduced capacity to support housing projects and initiatives effectively.
• Decreased ability to provide next-day inspections for customers, leading to a more frequent occurrence of extended inspection timelines, shifting from 24-hour to 48-hour response times for initial inspection requests.
• The department will be limited in its ability to respond to and return phone calls in a timely manner, resulting in decreased front-line support and longer response times for customer inquiries.

Survey / GIS

• Slower processing of parcel maps, subdivision maps, and development projects.
• Slower processing of abandonments, boundary line adjustments, dedications, and certificates of compliance.
• Reduced availability for assisting the public on complex issues

Veterans Services:

• Decrease to claim processing and filing which will also result in a decline in Subvention and Medi-Cal Avoidance Revenue and a local economic impact
• Reduction in outreach and personal contact with veterans
• Delays may impact veterans access to benefits
• Operational impacts to Veterans Permanent-Supportive Housing on Columbia Way

Library:

• Reduced programming at Sonora Library

Recreation:

• Increase revenue from youth recreation programs
• Tuolumne Youth Center to remain closed for FY. Reevaluate closure for FY 25-26
• Reduced groundskeeping services

Next Steps

1. March 4th—FY 24-25 Mid-Year review and approval of budget adjustments (4/5ths approval required)

2. February 5th-May 30th— work strategically toward long-term cost efficiencies, permanent reductions, consolidations, reorganizations, and revenue growth opportunities to be implemented in FY 25-26, including reviewing and incorporating survey results from staff and Board

3. June 17th—FY 25-26 Budget Adoption  15% reduction to non-public safety department budgets based on FY 25-26 Projection