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Supervisors will consider plan to cut hiring, spending
| Sunday, Apr 20 2008 10:21 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Apr 21 2008 8:16 AM
Kern County supervisors will stare down the barrel of a $47.7 million general fund budget deficit Tuesday.
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The Kern County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday at the county administrative center, 1115 Truxtun Ave.
You can also watch the meeting live on KGOV, the county’s local cable television station.
The station lists available channels at co.kern.ca.us/gsd/KGOV.
The board’s agenda as well as some background materials are available online at co.kern.ca.us/bos.
They found out about the budget shortfall last Tuesday.
This Tuesday, they will be asked to do something about it.
County Administrative Officer Ron Errea will deliver a proposal asking the board to give him the power to clamp down on county hiring and spending.
All new hires — and hiring of county “extra help” part-timers — would have to be approved by Errea’s office.
And departments would have to prove the hires meet one of four exemptions:
• the job is required to meet the county’s obligations under the law, union agreements, grant requirements or binding contracts.
• the job, if left unfilled, would create a danger to public health and safety.
• the job isn’t paid for by the general fund or user fees.
• both the department head and Errea agree it would be worse to leave the job open than to fill it.
The plan would also limit county departments’ ability to make major purchases. Errea, again, would have the power to review all spending and, in consultation with the department head, veto or approve it.
All purchases and hiring would eventually be brought to the Kern County Board of Supervisors.