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ADMINISTRATION - Fiscal Manager Orepa Mamea
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Requested Action(s)
recommendation
a) Requesting the full Board's Direction to Departments to implement a 2.5% budget reduction across both the General Fund and Public Safety Budget Units in order to address the pressing budget gap of $9,028,123 million
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Financial Impact:
The requested reduction will help close the budget gap of $9,028,123 million. General Fund deficit of $3,844,268 and Public Safety deficit of $5,183,855.
Background Information:
The deadline for the departments to submit their Adopted Budget was July 12th. On July 23rd, a report detailing our current position with the Adopted Budget numbers, along with requests and suggestions for addressing the budget deficit, was sent to the full Board. Based on the feedback received from the Board a survey was sent to Department Heads soliciting suggestions on how to close the budget deficit in ways that will have the least negative impact to the departments. Based on their responses, another email with a memo was sent out to the General Fund and Public Safety departments on August 8th requesting a 2.5% reduction with a deadline of August 16th.
The proposed 2.5% reduction was chosen in an effort to be fair and equitable across all departments. It reflects our commitment to share responsibility in addressing the budget shortfall based on data-driven decisions.
As of August 21st, all but one department has implemented the requested 2.5% reduction. One department has requested full Board direction before any reductions are offered. This situation, similar to last year's, significantly impacts the budget team's timeline due to delayed adjustments. Consequently, the budget team may be required to make adjustments on behalf of the department.
The County extends its sincere gratitude to the departments that have proactively responded to the budget reductions request. Their cooperation and willingness to find solutions are instrumental in meetin...
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