June 2, 2004

County winds up budget discussions

By County Supervisor James T. Beall
Special to the Times

We are moving toward the end of the county budget discussions with final public hearings scheduled for the week of June 14. The anticipated $104 million impact of the state budget on Santa Clara County services was substantially reduced by the agreement reached between counties and the governor. Pending approval of the legislature, the county will face approximately $52 million in reduced state funding.

The LOCAL agreement includes a constitutional amendment that would permanently protect local property tax dollars, as well as sales tax and vehicle license fees from future state raids.

However, serious reductions in state allocations remain in the recommended budget, threatening many health and human service programs. Funding for programs for at-risk-youth is greatly reduced. Mental health services and programs to treat drug and alcohol abuse face large cuts unless the legislature finds more dollars for these important services. Workers who provide care to the elderly and disabled would have their wages reduced by at least 30 percent under the proposed budget. Foster care funding also would be cut.

The county is exploring every possible way to soften the impact of the state budget at the same time that the county’s own deficit is being addressed. We are concerned about both the fiscal health of the county and the health and quality of life of the people of Santa Clara County.

We welcome any suggestions you may have for increasing revenues or reducing expenditures. Please contact my office at (408) 299-5040 for more information.