Politics & Government
Sheriff, DA To Discuss Layoffs Today
A 5 percent cut in general fund support for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and a 6 percent cut for the D.A.'s office are proposed. Other county agencies are facing cuts as high as 25 percent.
Funding gaps in public safety agencies’ budgets is set to be the topic of a Riverside County Board of Supervisors hearing Monday – the final one before the board finalizes its 2011-12 fiscal year spending plan.
Sheriff Stan Sniff and District Attorney Paul Zellerbach were expected to address how many layoffs could be necessary to keep their departments spending on track.
The county Executive Office has proposed a 5 percent cut in general fund support for the sheriff’s department and a 6 percent cut for prosecutors. Meanwhile, other agencies would face cuts as high as 25 percent.
Find out what's happening in Palm Desertwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Sniff has already begun sending out notices to reach a $224.7 million spending threshold set by the Executive Office.
Anywhere from 100 to 500 patrol and correctional deputies, along with support staff, could be handed pink slips in the first quarter of the next fiscal year.
Find out what's happening in Palm Desertwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Sniff has also indicated that several sheriff's stations may have to be consolidated and the coroner's Coachella Valley office shuttered to stay within budget.
Cities like Palm Desert that contract with the county for law enforcement services will not be directly impacted by the layoffs. Palm Desert already accounted for an increase in funding for its police department this year.
Zellerbach has blamed his budget woes on his predecessor, Rod Pacheco, who he claims hired staff without the funds to pay for it.
The D.A.’s Office has been given a proposed budget of $58.6 million, which is about $4 million lower than the current fiscal year.
Zellerbach has said he may have to eliminate three-dozen positions to bring his office up to budget.
County administrators remain concerned about the consequences of the state's budget fixes, which may not be known for another two or three months.
The fiscal blueprint pieced together Monday will remain a working product through September, when the budget will be formally adopted, according to the
Executive Office.
City News Service contributed to this report.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.