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Board Takes Several Actions During Budget Hearings
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| June 29, 2012 |
 During the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 budget hearings, the Sutter County Board of Supervisors avoided some projected layoffs, cut hours at libraries and the museum, restored funding for two more deputies, saved the wildlife trapping program, and cut its own travel budget.
Budget hearings were conducted June 25 and June 26 at the Veteran's hall in Yuba City.
The Board of Supervisors conducted hearings on an overall FY 2012-2013 budget of $243 million, with a General Fund budget of $57 million, which is an 8.3% reduction from last year. The FY 2012-2013 General Fund budget is 23 percent below FY 2008-2009.
The General Fund is comprised largely of property tax and sales tax revenue. While sales tax revenues picked up in the past year, property tax revenues continued to decline.
The CAO's original proposed budget included recommendations for six layoffs; however, layoffs will occur in just three positions: Assistant Director of Community Services, Account Clerk III in the Auditor-Controller’s Office, and half time Office Assistant II in the Farm Advisor's Office.
Layoff notices were extended to August 24th for the latter two positions because the incumbents may qualify for some current vacancies in other departments within the County. The Board chose to retain funding for an Executive Secretary in the County Administrative Office who was originally slated for layoff, pending recommendations from the new County Administrator.
Prior to budget hearings, all 21 employees of the Assessor's Office agreed to take a voluntary 5% furlough in order to avoid a layoff in that department.
In Community Services, an Office Assistant III retired to save the job of a less senior Office Assistant whose position was to be eliminated.
The Board of Supervisors:
- Restored funding to two of three vacant deputy sheriff's positions recommended to be frozen.
- Avoided a layoff of a library technician and kept the Rio Oso branch library open as the result of an agreement with Brown School.
- Cut hours at the main library, and the Rio Oso, Sutter and Live Oak branch libraries. The Pleasant Grove library branch will close.
- Agreed to utilize Transit Occupancy Tax receipts to restore funding for the County's wildlife trapping program. The program is aimed at trapping feral pigs, beaver, mountain lions and other wildlife that damage agricultural crops.
- Reduced hours at the Community Memorial Museum.
- Cut the Board's travel budget from $25,000 to $15,000.
- Agreed to continue funding the Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corp. at $52,000.
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