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Barnett's numbers wrong, county says
| Thursday, Jul 3 2008 4:46 PM
Last Updated: Thursday, Jul 3 2008 5:40 PM
The county’s top administrator has debunked Auditor-Controller Ann Barnett’s financial reasoning for ending civil marriage ceremonies in Kern County.
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Barnett has claimed the move will save taxpayers more than $18,000 a year.
The savings is more like $171 a year, according to a Thursday memo from County Administrative Officer Ron Errea to the Board of Supervisors.
Barnett, a conservative Christian, announced she would end civil marriages due to budget, space and security reasons on June 4, the day the California Supreme Court ruled gay marriage licenses must be issued starting June 17.
Her office, the county fiscal watchdog, released a report piling administrative fees on top of staff expenditures to reach the $18,000.
It’s unfair to add administrative costs to the price tag, Errea wrote, because Barnett’s department will continue paying them whether or not the ceremonies continue.
Barnett has proposed to eliminate an office services technician position “at an annual savings of $63,171,” the memo states.
“This is the direct cost for providing civil marriage ceremonies,” Errea wrote.
Since marriage ceremonies bring in around $63,000 a year, the memo says, the true savings is $171.
Barnett’s staff has refused to explain to The Californian why the administrative fees were justified — and if the cost would end now that civil marriage ceremonies have been discontinued.
They also refused to explain the space and security concerns.
On Tuesday, the Kern County Board of Supervisors will take up an ordinance proposed by local gay marriage opponents that would ban gay marriage in Kern County.
The ordinance is “patently unconstitutional,” according to a legal opinion made public Thursday by Kern County Counsel Bernard Barmann.
“The ‘Marriage Protection Ordinance’ is void on its face,” the legal opinion reads. “Adopting it will have no legal effect or force.”
“Our attorney will be issuing a well-researched legal analysis later this week which shows this ordinance is indeed constitutional,” said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, which wrote the ordinance. “The constitution says counties can pass any ordinance that is not in conflict with statute.”
Supervisors will also be asked to have San Bernardino County Clerk Larry Walker deputize a Kern County employee to conduct the marriages.
The county clerks of five surrounding counties, unwilling to step on Barnett’s toes, have refused to deputize a county employee outside Barnett’s department.
But Walker has expressed a reluctant willingness to negotiate, Errea wrote.