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By Mike Gervais
Register Staff
9-17-2009 Inyo County officials have managed to pass a budget for the next fiscal year, despite challenges arising from uncertain state finances.
The Board of Supervisors approved the 2009-10 budget Tuesday, effectively eliminating 20 vacant positions from the county payroll and pulling $7,700 from the county’s Tobacco Prevention program to align the budget to reflect revenue for the program.
County Administrative Officer Kevin Carunchio estimates a revenue total of $74,414,690 for the upcoming fiscal year and $80,439,897 worth of expenditures. The amount of the General Fund portion of the budget is $45,990,335 in revenues and $49,870,744 in expenditures.
The $49,870,744 in recommended expenditures is $60,559 less than what was presented in the Recommended Budget last week.
The approved budget has $1 million less in expenditures this year over last year’s budget.
“I think that the county has much to be proud of,” said First District Supervisor Linda Arcularius. “Without the leadership of our department heads and Mr. Carunchio, we wouldn’t have what we have. There will be a reduction of services, but the county will still respond. But it may take more time.”
To save money on expenditures from the General Fund, the Board of Supervisors removed the constable budget ($2,187) because the Office of Constable has been eliminated through a state-mandated court unification process.
The constable of Inyo County Justice Court, who eventually became the marshall of the Municipal Court, served as an officer of the Court of Inyo County under direction of the judges. The marshal and constable served court documents to citizens.
In the 1990s the constable position officially became the marshal position when the County Justice Court became the Municipal Court.
As part of the consolidation of the municipal and Superior courts that occurred earlier this decade, the marshal’s office was phased out of existence.
The constable position is one out of 20 positions that have not been filled in light of the county hiring freeze, and are now eliminated from the entire budget.
“The permanent elimination of 20 positions is a sign of the times,” Arcularius said. “We’re going to live within our means. The taxpayers want us to live within out means, and not give us any more means to live with.”
The board decreased revenue and expenses in the County Counsel budget by $50,000 because the settlement of litigation related to the Coso Operation Company’s Hay Ranch Project has been completed. The board also moved to decrease revenue in the Planning budget by $7,500 due to the settled litigation.
The board also decreased revenue in the Treasurer-Tax Collection Budget by $3,059, as a result of recommended reductions to department-requested expense that will have a corresponding effect on the treasurer’s administrative fee revenue.
The board also decided to increase the Child Support Services budget by $1,589, and increase expenses by $7,500 to fund half of a regional business planning process.
In tough fiscal times, “the county is being very conservative in its fiscal operations,” said Fifth District Supervisor Richard Cervantes.
“We’re in tight budget times,” Second District Supervisor Susan Cash said in reference to the approved budget. “There’s not a lot of wiggle room here.”
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