Lake County approves record-high budget of $201 million
LAKE COUNTY ? The Lake County Board of Supervisors adopted a record-high $201 million balanced budget on time Thursday for the 2008-09 fiscal year.
County Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Cox said the budget is up approximately $5 million from last year, partly because money from road construction projects accumulated and was carried forward. The budget allows for capital improvement projects that will stimulate local economy, according to Cox.
In a memo to the board, Cox said, “In order to provide an economic stimulus to the local economy, it is recommended the board direct the department in charge of these projects to cut through the red tape and move forward with construction at the earliest possible date.”
The projects include a higher-than-normal $18 million in road construction projects. County Public Works Director Brent Siemer said projects to repair damage from 2005 winter storms on the Northshore and in Lower Lake are more expensive than storm damage projects already completed, and draw bigger state and federal matches.
Also included is $3.8 million from geothermal royalties used to purchase nearly 1,500 acres of land on Mount Konocti, more than $2 million for the Middletown Library and sheriff”s substation, $1.5 million for senior centers, more than $1 million for county parks and $745,000 for non-county agencies including the Soper-Reese Theater, Lake Family Resource Center and Hospice, among others.
The county”s general fund this year is $54.6 million. Of that, property taxes represent $16 million.
County Administrative Analyst Doug Willardson said the county”s budget allows for spending “well over” what the county gets in taxes for departments, including community development, social services, animal control, agriculture, probation and juvenile hall, and the district attorney”s office. A bar graph he helped develop shows that the county”s projected spending for the Lake County Sheriff”s Office and jail is more than $15.4 million.
The county received 37 percent of its funding from the state in its 2001-02 budget, compared to 26 percent this year. That represents the largest portion of the county”s resources, with fund balances and reserves representing 21 percent of the county”s budget.
“The county budget is balanced, we have no general fund debt and we are increasing reserves,” Cox said. Carryover is up 6 percent this year from the 2001-02 fiscal year.
Taxes and federal funding each represent 16 percent of the county”s resources. Charges for services make up 9 percent.
Cox said he will address the effect of the state budget on the county when it is adopted.
“That”s the only question that”s still out there ? what will be the impact of the state budget? We”ve anticipated various reductions from the state for the governor”s May budget revision, but at this point we don”t know what is actually going to be enacted. If it”s significantly worse than that, we”ll have to come back and make some revisions,” Cox said.
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