Adopting their budget, mention is given of seeking special district status for the Parkway to create additional taxes to help maintain it, which we feel to be an inappropriate way to address the issue.
More fruitful would be to form a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) of Parkway adjacent local governments and through the JPA contract with a nonprofit organization—as the city of Sacramento has done with the Sacramento Zoo—to manage the Parkway and raise funds for it through philanthropy, supplementing what comes from the JPA members self assessments.
Philanthropic fund raising, with its non-coercive approach, is a much more effective method of supporting a beloved regional resource than the coercive one of increasing taxes.
County adopts budget, braces for leaner times
By Ed Fletcher - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, September 14, 2007
Sacramento County supervisors approved a $2.1 billion general fund budget Thursday, while along the way finding extra funds for a handful of programs and rejecting a call to end non-emergency care to illegal immigrants.
The approved budget -- about $5 billion in total spending -- ends months of deliberations and hand wringing. With the economy cooling, housing prices dropping and long-term debts coming due, however, officials are predicting worse times ahead.
"I'm not looking forward to it," said Lynn Frank, the county's director of the Department of Health and Human Services. "I think (2008-2009) is going to be a very difficult budget year."
The county was able to close a multimillion-dollar shortfall predicted for the current fiscal year that ends June 30 by closing vacant positions, selling two Elk Grove parcels and other one-time maneuvers.
Departments had to trim their budgets, but the reductions did not include significant program cuts, said Linda Foster-Hall, chief budget officer.
That may not be possible next time around.
"It will be more difficult to balance next year's budget if there are few or no one-time fixes available," said Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan.
At the end of a daylong budget session, the supervisors were able -- by taking money from county reserves and money earmarked for economic development -- to add 11 sheriff's deputies, launch a night court pilot project and add a few probation positions, a ballistics expert and a handful of social workers.
The new spending -- especially additional positions -- had budget makers squirming in their chairs.
"I'm getting really anxious," said County Executive Terry Schutten.
Geoff Davey, in his final act as county chief financial officer, warned the board that its spending could cause a downgraded credit rating.
Rather than lowering structural costs or increasing revenue, the county budget relies on $19 million in one-time maneuvers.
The county does have its eye on additional revenue. It is considering whether to create separate special assessment districts to boost the Sheriff's Department budget and to benefit the American River Parkway.
