LAKEPORT, Calif. – A week after he was appointed, the new interim county administrative officer presented his first budget to the Board of Supervisors.
Matt Perry presented the board with a structurally sound, debt-free budget, just as his predecessor, Kelly Cox, had done during his three-decade tenure.
Cox officially retired March 16 but filled in on a volunteer basis until the board appointed Perry at the end of its June 5 meeting. Perry asked for the appointment on an interim basis to begin with to let everyone get used to the new arrangement.
The recommended 2012-13 budget Perry presented totals approximately $185,711,200, about $509,000 more than the 2011-12 budget. The proposed 2012-13 general fund budget is $52,244,146, about $114,000 more than the general fund budget in the fiscal year now winding now.
While he's been part of the budgeting process during his 24 years in the administrative office, this was the first time Perry has presented the budget on his own.
Crafting the recommended budget – the final adoption of which is not expected until August – was a challenge, said Perry.
He met with department heads who he would credit throughout the board discussion with working hard to fit the county's needs into what it could afford.
Among the sacrifices are several vacant positions that he said will remain unfilled.
Depending on how certain other factors play out, some of those positions may need to be eliminated during the August budget hearing, he said.
One of the main factors that could influence such a step is a decline in the property tax roll. Perry is anticipating a 3-percent decline, which will affect county revenues.
Due to vacancies in the assessor's office, Perry said Assessor Doug Wacker does not expect to close the 2011-12 roll before the end of July.
Regarding dissolution of the county redevelopment agency, Perry said over the last several years the agency had taken in about $1.4 million annually.
He said in the coming year $313,000 is anticipated to go to the county's general fund rather than redevelopment, with staff recommending that those funds continue to partially fund the Lucerne Hotel renovations.
Another $811,000 that formerly would have gone to redevelopment will go to local schools, Perry said.
Regarding correctional realignment, Perry said the county expects to receive $1.7 million from the state in the 2012-13 fiscal year. There will be $372,000 to fund six correctional officer positions the board approved in a recent meeting and another $100,000 to offset longer incarcerations and more inmates.
He commended the department heads for working as a team and understanding the county's tough fiscal choices. He said they don't have “the typical spend it or lose it” mindset.
One of the key budget adjustments will be an increase for marijuana-related flyover operations. Perry said the initial budget recommended $88,000 but the Lake County Narcotics Task Force was seeking a total of $135,000 to cover its contracts.
Board Chair Rob Brown acknowledged that Perry had been working for months on the recommended budget, calling the 364-page document “good work.”
The board often had acknowledged Cox's efforts in keeping the county in good fiscal shape, and Brown said he was sure they would be telling Perry the same thing as he moves forward with the job.
Perry again credited the departments heads, acknowledging their efforts in crafting a balanced budget.
The board approved the recommended budget in a 5-0 vote.
A hearing on the final budget document is set for Aug. 28.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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