RSS Feed
Print Story
E-mail Story
Department heads duel with supervisors on 'overmatch' money
| Tuesday, Jul 15 2008 8:49 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Jul 16 2008 7:15 AM
Kern County officials debated the word “overmatch” Tuesday.
BAKERSFIELD.COM HOT TOPICS:
Loading Stories
Advertisement
It was a hot debate.
Tens of millions of dollars in public money and the fate of several county social service departments hang on determining which funds are called “overmatch” and which are not.
In general terms, overmatch money is county cash that supervisors choose to spend on mandated state and federal programs that they aren’t required to spend by law.
County Administrative Officer Ron Errea said the county has generally tried not to overmatch state and federal money.
But over the years the need to keep programs in the public health, probation and human services departments operational has drawn more and more county cash, he said.
Leaders of those departments didn’t like the definitions raised by county budget officials from Errea’s office.
Public Heath Services Director John Nilon railed like a tent-revival preacher after they classified nearly $16 million of his budget as “overmatch” funding.
“John, this isn’t a budget session,” Supervisor Michael Rubio reminded Nilon.
“But isn’t it fun,” Nilon fired back impishly.
Nilon argued only $6 million of his budget is county overmatch.
The county is required to give his department the nearly $10 million it has classified as discretionary revenue, he argued.
Tuesday’s session was aimed at questioning if the county — faced by a tough budget year — might spend overmatch money somewhere else.
Human Services Director Pat Cheadle said taking an additional $5 million in overmatch from her department would make her social workers’ caseloads unmanageable.
Her department handles foster care and public welfare programs such as CalWORKs.
County supervisors said they wanted to go beyond the definition of overmatch and get to which county programs truly deserve funding.
“We need a clear discretion of what the CAO’s office is calling ‘overmatch,’” said Supervisor Jon McQuiston.
“I’m less interested in definitions. I’m more interested in what is going to be the impact to our services,” said Supervisor Ray Watson.
Following the meeting Errea said his department will deliver more specific program-level data to supervisors so they can make the call about which programs should be funded when the board meets in budget hearings next week.