County executive outlines budget financial projections
San Jose
County of Santa Clara County Executive Pete Kutras presented to the Board of Supervisors financial projections for the next five years, which confirm the persistent pattern of anticipated annual budget deficits through fiscal year 2012.
The report details a trend that has followed the valley’s economic downturn since the dot.com bust and funding changes at the state and federal levels. For the coming fiscal year, which will begin next June, revenues will lag behind expenses by $154.8 million. That amount is projected to grow to $167.3 million in fiscal year 2010. Projected deficits of a similar magnitude are anticipated in fiscal years 2011 and 2012.
The county’s recurring budget deficits are the result of greater demands for services and inadequate growth in revenues to support those services as well as a lack of control over revenues. For fiscal year 2009, over 80 percent of county revenue is projected to come from three sources. One-third is projected to come from the state, 20 percent from the federal government and 31 percent from property taxes. In some cases revenues have increased but not at the same rate as the cost of doing business.
“The vast majority of the revenues that support the county budget are outside of our control,” said Kutras. “We are facing enormous challenges from state and federal government policies and issues which put us in great jeopardy. We are not exempt from the high cost of fuel and pharmaceuticals, yet we have not had a sufficient growth in revenue to keep pace with costs.”
Among the unresolved federal and state issues that leave the county vulnerable are the loss of Healthy Families (SCHIP) funds which could have an impact of more than $3 million, changes in the Medicaid Rule at the federal level which could result in a loss to Valley Medical Center of $31.5 million, loss of funds for Graduate Medical Education, health insurance reform initiatives’ impact on public hospitals, statewide housing market impact on the economy and future State budget deficits.
Officials pointed out that even though the county housing market may be stable, the weakening market statewide will have a negative affect on state revenues and the county will experience the result.
Kutras’ presentation launched the county’s budget planning process and included a number of preliminary strategies the county executive is evaluating for balancing the fiscal year 2009 budget, including asking many county departments to cut up to 12.35 percent of their net costs.
“This is an early warning,” said Kutras. “In February, I’ll make specific budget recommendations. But I want to let you know that the light we thought we saw a few years ago at the end of the tunnel has turned out to be the headlight of a coming train.”
Members of the Board of Supervisors welcomed the early review and directed the county executive to continue working on methods for generating revenue including making asset development a high priority, exploring whether county residents are willing to support additional revenue measures for services, depleting fund balances before making service cuts, continuing to consolidate operations where possible and developing scenarios that show the affect of not using temporary one-time funds for ongoing expenses.
Budget Timeline
Feb. 5 – Mid-year budget for FY 2008 and updated FY 2009 projection to Board
March 7 – Departmental plans provided to Board of Supervisors
March – Meetings with county executive on FY 2009 budget
March/April – Board committees hear departmental budget proposals
May 5 – FY 2009 County executive’s recommended budget to Board of Supervisors
Week of May 12 (Tentative) – Board budget workshops
Week of June 9 (Tentative) – Board budget hearings.
Westfield foots bill for city planner
Gilroy
In order for Westfield to guide its mammoth project through the city’s planning process, the company has given the city a $300,000 deposit to draw from whenever city planners log hours on the project, according to Planning Director Bill Faus.
Part-time planner Deborah Schwarz, who started working Aug. 20, spends 100 percent of her time at City Hall on the mall project.
She took home more than $5,000 last month after working 125 hours at $41.82 an hour, according to Faus.
The city has never hired a contract planner to work on one specific project and that project only, Faus said.
Along with Schwarz, Faus, Community Development Director Wendie Rooney and a handful of other regular city employees work on the project, as well, logging their hours that include two formal meetings twice a month that last two to four hours each, according to Faus.
The $300,000 also pays for relevant application processing fees, but its beginning to run low, Faus said, so the city will set up a monthly payment plan for Westfield to pay about $50,000 a month for the hourly salaries and charges.
Schwarz is planning on leaving early next year, Faus said, and so the city is looking for a senior-level planner to replace her and continue working on the Westfield project.
Highway 25 closes for repairs
The California Highway Patrol said a section of Highway 25 in Santa Clara County will be closed for several days next week so repairs can be made to a Union Pacific Railroad crossing.
The road will be closed at the first tracks east of U.S. 101 starting at 7 a.m. Nov. 12 until 6 p.m. Nov. 16.
Traffic on U.S. 101 will be directed to exit at Monterey Road, then take Old Bolsa Road south to Bloomfield Avenue, turn right on Bloomfield Avenue then turn left back onto Highway 25.
Traffic on Highway 25 will be directed to exit Bloomfield Avenue, turn left onto Old Bolsa Road and then enter U.S. 101.
There are two alternate routes. Fraser Lake Road is one option, and another would be to use Highways 156 or 152 to eliminate the detour.
Parade applications available
San Juan Bautista – Applications are now available for the second annual Holiday in Lights Parade scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Dec. in downtown San Juan Bautista. Marching bands, choirs, cars, floats and youth organizations are invited to participate. For more information and applications to download, please contact the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce at www.sjbchamber.com, by e-mail at sj***@*******al.net or by phone at (831) 623-2454.
Space needed for donation program
For more than 25 years, the local nonprofit Community Solutions’ Holiday Giving Program has provided families in need with food and gifts so that they can celebrate the holiday season with hope and joy. However, the warehouse space that the program was gifted in the past is unavailable this year. Community Solutions is seeking donated use of approximately a 10,000 square-foot facility as soon as possible for use until Dec. 21. The gift of space is critical to the program, as it will permit volunteers to collect and organize donations to serve more than 100 families in need. Those who would like to give the gift of a temporary facility for the Holiday Giving Program’s use should call Jacqueline Solari at (408) 776-6232 immediately.
County to launch Holiday Book Drive for women at Elmwood Jail
The County of Santa Clara Commission on the Status of Women and the County of Santa Clara Office of Women’s Policy are asking for help from county residents during their first book drive for women at Elmwood Jail on Nov. 16 to Jan. 3.
On an average day there are more than 600 female inmates at the Elmwood Correctional Center for Women. The average length of stay is 97 days, and many of these women are mothers of young children. On any given day, approximately 60 inmates are pregnant.
Female inmates need reading materials for education and personal development to help them in their rehabilitation. In the spirit of the holiday season, county residents can drop off new or almost new paperback books at the lower level cafeteria of the County Government Center.
Drive coordinators are asking for easy-to-read books on women’s health, prenatal care and parenting, fiction and non fiction, self-help, inspirational and motivational paper back books. Books in other languages such as Spanish and Vietnamese are also needed.
Books may be dropped off at:
- County Government Center, 70 West Hedding St., San Jose lower level cafeteria.
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Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, district and administration office lobbies.
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De Anza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, administration building lobby.
County district attorney receives award
Assistant District Attorney Rolanda Pierre-Dixon has received the Stephen L. Von Reisen Lecturer of Merit Award from the National College of District Attorneys. Pierre-Dixon received the award “in recognition of exceptional service in the continuing professional education of all individuals who work on behalf of domestic violence survivors, their families.”
Volunteers needed for training exercise
The Volunteer Center Silicon Valley is recruiting 500 volunteers for the Golden Guardian Bio-terrorism Emergency Preparedness exercise 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 14 at San Jose Municipal Stadium.
An additional 700 volunteers are targeted for six other emergency preparedness and Green Challenge projects through Nov. 17.
This year, for the first time, ordinary citizens will take an active volunteer role in the exercise, who will role play concert attendees in this county-wide evaluation exercise of police, fire and medical first responders.
Each year since 2004, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security has conducted the exercise in all 58 counties. The training coordinates and evaluates the activities of city, county and state governments, first responders, volunteer organizations and private sector response to potential acts of terrorism and natural disasters.
No experience is necessary to participate. The minimum age is 18. Volunteers will be trained before the exercise begins, and lunch will be provided. Some standing for periods of time and some walking may be required, and volunteers should be available for the duration of the activity.
Morgan Hill Residence Inn offers free rooms on holidays
The Residence Inn Morgan Hill will be participating in the “Room in the Inn” program offering free hotel rooms to those visiting loved ones in area hospitals, nursing homes and treatment centers on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve.
Tharaldson Lodging Company, which operates the Residence Inn Morgan Hill, began the program in 1988. By offering free rooms to those in need, the company hopes to make it a little easier for families to get together during the holidays. The company is one of the largest independent hotel development and management companies in the country and operates 370 hotels.
For more information, contact Robert Whaley, general manager, 408.782.8311.
Police arrest suspect in January shooting
GILROY
Police nabbed a wanted felon during a traffic stop, moving forward a 10-month-old shooting and robbery case.
Police were conducting a vehicle check near the intersection of Carmel and First streets, 11:40 p.m. Saturday, when an officer spotted 19-year-old Michael Anthony Perez in the back seat of a stopped car. Police brought Perez – who lives on the 300 block of Third Avenue – out of the car and arrested him without incident on suspicion of attempted murder and second-degree robbery. His warrant does not allow for bail.
On Jan. 17, Perez busted into a garage on an unnamed alley behind 225 Gurries Drive and shot then 21-year-old Shawn Walker while he was hanging out with two friends, police said. The house’s owner – upstairs during the incident – said he heard shots and arrived to find Walker slumped against a washing machine.
Walker, who was shot at least three times in the stomach, was in critical condition at a San Jose hospital for more than a week following the incident, police said. He has since recovered, but police do not know if he has permanent injury.
During the incident, Perez and two accomplices “pocket-checked” the three victims, taking the cash from their wallets, a friend of the victims said. The crime was later labeled as possibly gang-related. According to the state penal code, if convicted of the charges, Perez faces 12 year to life in prison.
Police failed to nab Perez – who they said was a familiar face to them – when he was spotted Jan. 26 near the intersection of Church and Seventh streets, just a block away from the old Rosanna-Street Gilroy Police Department. Perez managed to evade police long enough to get to his father’s home on Church Street and then vanished by the time officers arrived.
Student brandishes knife in class, arrested
GILROY
A 16-year-old Gilroy High School boy was arrested for brandishing a knife in the middle of English class and threatening a teacher, police said.
However, high school administrators were surprised to hear these charges and said they understood the Nov. 2 incident to be much more low-key. Students held a knife and passed it around, but nobody made threatening gestures, principal James Maxwell said.
Both police and administrators agree that teacher Ohad Paran was standing up in front of his last-period class, giving a lesson from behind a podium, when he noticed something alarming at 2:23 p.m. Police said one of his students – whose name and address police withheld because he is a minor – was sitting in the front row with a black and white folding knife, making stabbing gestures toward the teacher.
“The teacher saw this, was concerned for his safety and called the office,” Gilroy police Sgt. Jim Gillio said, summarizing the police report.
“I’m a little puzzled by that,” Maxwell said in response to the report. Paran “just saw it being handed from one to another.”
Gillio – who handles all communications for the police department – was unavailable at 5 p.m. to respond to Maxwell’s comments.
Differing accounts notwithstanding, office staff called police, who responded to the classroom and arrested the teen for possession of a weapon on school grounds and making threats of great bodily harm.
