Good morning Chairman Horn and members of the Board. I am pleased to have the opportunity to present our 1997/98 budget request to you this morning. This is the first time we have met on a financial issue since our Overtime Conference of April 16. Today we will try to build on many of the issues we discussed at that meeting.
Before I begin my actual budget presentation I would like to publicly express my appreciation for the cooperation and assistance my staff has received from your respective staff members, as well as staff from the CAO and Auditor’s office. We have tried to be as collaborative as possible in putting together a budget proposal that is both responsible and attainable.
And while we all know that the fiscal health of the County and the Sheriff’s Department is better than it was just two short years ago, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that there is much work yet to be done if we are to provide the level of public safety and service that our citizens expect and deserve.
I want the public to feel encouraged by what they see and hear today. I will start by saying that your investment in public safety is paying-off in San Diego County. As I stated in our Overtime Conference, CRIME IS DOWN throughout the Sheriff’s service area by over 13% from last year.
In fact, the crime rate is down throughout most areas of the State of California.
I personally believe that the reduction in the incidence of crime in our county is a result of our efforts in crime prevention, a strong law enforcement presence within our communities and aggressive prosecution of those who are caught preying on law abiding citizens. In any case, we are collectively doing something right; and we intend to continue working with the District Attorney and other law enforcement agencies to further reduce crime in San Diego County. With your continued support, I am confident we will be successful.
I would now like to direct your attention to the monitor as I speak to our department's budgetary needs for next fiscal year.
I am pleased to say that for the second year in a row, the Sheriff’s Department will end the Fiscal Year with a positive balance. Last year we returned over $2.1 million in savings and overrealized revenues.
Earlier this year we were projecting a $3.3 million deficit. However, a variety of factors enabled us to overcome the projected deficit. We now expect to complete this fiscal year with over a half million dollars remaining in our budget.
We are pursuing grant funding and other sources of revenue more aggressively than has ever been done in the past. As you can see, almost 72% of our budget is derived from non-general fund sources. Consequently, our budget now receives roughly half the general fund money as in Fiscal Year 1993/94. Your Board has supported our use of additional revenues by adopting Board Policy A-126, relating to Proposition 172 "growth" funds and new revenues.
The main reason we will have a positive fund balance this year is due to overrealized revenue. In other words, we brought in more money than expected in three main categories. These are:
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The State Department of Corrections revenue - generated from the housing of parole violators |
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The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program grant revenue; and |
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"Growth" funds relating to Prop. 172 revenue. |
These three accounts generated over $3 million more than anticipated. However, given a choice, we’d prefer to use this overrealized revenue to pay for prioritized department needs; not to balance the budget.
The Sheriff’s 1996/97 adopted budget approximated $190 million. The 1997/98 CAO’s Proposed Budget is recommending $203 million for the Sheriff’s Department.
The $13 million increase, reflects only $3 million in additional net county cost. This includes appropriations for:
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salary increases and adjustments |
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mid-year Board actions, full-year funding and contractual adjustments |
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grant and revenue adjustments |
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costs associated with the new San Diego Central Jail |
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and the Fleet Internal Service Fund |
The 1997/98 CAO Proposed Budget and Budget Change Letter for the Sheriff’s Department reflect approximately $204 million in appropriations. Subsequent to the April Overtime Conference, the CAO and I have been working closely to address the issues we discussed at that conference.
As a result, the CAO is recommending an additional $1.7 million in appropriations for the Sheriff’s Department for a total of approximately $206 million.
I am both grateful and supportive of his recommendation. These funds will enable us to implement the Training Pipeline, add additional overtime appropriations, augment the Employee Medical Liaison Unit, and expand our recruitment efforts.
This is an important step in our continuing effort to refine our overtime control strategy.
While these fiscal appropriations are an important element of overtime control, I will be counting on our middle managers and supervisors to manage these resources. We, as a department, are committed to guarding against waste and will continue efforts to refine controls that will assist in containing overtime and other high-cost budget items.
Additionally, I have assigned my staff to work with the CAO and other county managers to design a new "Total Leave Program". Once implemented, this program will put the County "in step" with the private sector in providing leave benefits to its employees. Properly designed and administered, this will be a "win-win" situation for both the employer and the employees. I commend Mr. Prior for initiating this proposal.
Our remaining budget considerations are divided into three categories. The first two are based on "Structural Underfunding" of existing programs. These are areas in which we need added fiscal support to "make the department whole." The third category of priorities can be classified as "Other Unmet Needs".
Category 1 priorities are those operational functions we are already performing, but without the requisite funding to support the activity. Performing these functions without proper staffing and support, results in higher overtime use. There are a total of 20 Category 1 priorities totaling $6.4 million.
Beside the items contained in the CAO’s $1.7 million recommended addition, Category 1 priorities include such things as staffing for missing persons legislation mandates, deputies for the Ramona substation, Captains positions for Personnel and Jail Population Management, Megan's Law implementation, detentions staffing and ASTREA maintenance. We are presently performing these critical tasks, but lack of appropriate funding strains our ability to deliver previously authorized services.
Category 2 priorities are those items needed to properly equip and staff the department to meet present day needs.
There are 28 Category 2 requests totaling $30.3 million. Examples of unmet Category 2 priorities include Unincorporated Patrol Staffing, DNA Analysis, In-service training staff, Arson/Explosives Unit staffing, the Jail Information Management System and the Helicopter Replacement Trust Fund. Many of these items will undoubtedly become Category 1 priorities in future years.
Category 3 Priorities are "Other Unmet Needs". These are needs we have identified and would implement immediately if we had the funds to do so. There are 14 Category 3 requests totaling $4.4 million.
Examples of Category 3 priorities include additions to the North County Regional Gang Task Force, Crime Lab Reorganization, and the Agricultural Crime Prevention Unit.
Now that I’ve identified our three categories of budget priorities, those not familiar with managing government may wonder how we’re going to get what we need in the face of limited resources. We have all heard it said that: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." This budget brings us a step closer to restoring the Sheriff’s Department to a state of fiscal health.
I’d like to conclude today by making some commitments to you.
We are committed to enhancing operational efficiencies and, where possible, savings through cost avoidance. The training pipeline, overtime monitoring and conversion of Deputy Sheriffs to Correctional Deputies in the detention facilities all demonstrate our commitment to efficiently managing our limited resources now and into the future.
Another commitment our Department is making involves working more closely with the Auditor to realign our expenditure accounts. This will more accurately reflect the way our money is actually spent.
We are in the process of developing a five-year plan that will identify and prioritize resources needed in the future, thereby enabling the Sheriff's Department to operate more efficiently and effectively. This plan will include new and replacement facilities, cost increases for housing inmates, automation needs, crime lab enhancement, staffing requirements to accommodate workload increases and an appropriate level of support staff and equipment for all operational areas. The plan will also include application of anticipated revenues, such as Proposition 172 "growth" funds and service contracts with federal, state and local governments. We will be requesting a conference with your Board later this year to review the results of this study with you.
I am encouraged by the professional relationship we have forged in the last 2 ½ years. Your treatment of issues related to public safety reflect your strong commitment to effective law enforcement in our county. I appreciate the time you have taken to listen to my concerns today and am encouraged by the CAO’s understanding of our budgetary needs. We are asking you to support the CAO’s proposed budget. Further, we are requesting that you work with us to identify opportunities to fund the remaining Category 1 priorities. Meanwhile, we look forward to working together to overcome the challenges that await us in the new fiscal year.
If you have any questions, I’ll try to answer them at this time.
Thank-you.
Presented to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on June 10, 1997 by Sheriff William Kolender.
