San Jose
– The good news is, the state of the county is
”
strong.
”
The bad news is, Santa Clara County’s budget deficit is
rocketing toward $240 million, with no end in sight.
San Jose – The good news is, the state of the county is “strong.” The bad news is, Santa Clara County’s budget deficit is rocketing toward $240 million, with no end in sight.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors’ Chairman Don Gage delivered this message Tuesday in his State Of The County Address, also outlining four initiatives for 2007 in the areas of financial stability, government relations, transportation, and housing and homelessness.
“First of all, the State of the County is strong,” Gage began, speaking to a full audience in the Supervisors’ chambers in San Jose. “But despite this strength, we continue to be challenged by the fiscal realities of local government.”
By strong, Gage said things could be worse. He shored up the county’s positive aspects, including a high bond rating, and expressed his confidence in administrators, nonprofit partners and employees to pull together to address the financial challenges.
Since 2002, Santa Clara County has faced $800 million in budget shortfalls, resulting in nearly 1,600 layoffs. Spending cuts next year. Spending cuts next year could mean more layoffs for up to 1,400 government employees.
“These targets are severe, and in some cases may not be achievable by departments already stretched by past cuts,” Gage warned. “I do not look forward to chairing the budget workshops and hearings later this year.”
Preliminary budget hearings for fiscal year 2007-2008 begin in April. County health and counseling services alone are being asked to cut $70 million.
Grim outlook notwithstanding, Gage suggested things could be worse, and lauded the county for cost-cutting moves such selling “surplus property,” lowering overhead and purchasing existing office space rather than constructing new buildings.
“These fiscal policies have yielded real benefits for our residents,” Gage insisted, and “also earned the county the highest bond rating in the state, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in interest costs.”
Turning to his goals for 2007, Gage, who holds the rotated position of board of supervisors chair for the next year, pledged to focus on improving relationships with cities after plans to build a concert hall at the county’s fairgrounds were stopped in 2004 by a lawsuit from the city of San Jose. The lawsuit failed but the project was scrapped anyway because building costs rose.
“As elected officials from throughout the county, we should be able to work together,” Gage said. “We serve the same citizens, and I believe that the public is not served well when governments talk to each other through lawyers.”
Gage said he has scheduled meetings with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, elected last November, to discuss issues of mutual concern before problems arise.
Gage promised to do everything in his power to make sure that Santa Clara County receives its fair share of state and federal transportation dollars. But he also said Santa Clara County needs to develop a local source of transportation funding to accommodate growth.
“Quite bluntly, we need to get into people’s faces and demand that our residents get the state and federal transportation dollars they are entitled to,” Gage said. “This is a basic quality of life issue. Time spent sitting in traffic is time wasted.”
Demographers expect the state’s population to double by 2040, increasing the burden to plan for transportation solutions ahead of time.
Last but not least, Gage said announced a blue ribbon commission of non-profit, business and community leaders to jump-start a plan to address chronic homelessness.
“Providing the homeless with supportive housing would save Santa Clara County taxpayers millions of dollars each year” by reducing emergency room and criminal justice costs, said Gage, who is chairman of the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County. “We have adopted a plan, but I believe we need to take the next step.”
A countywide homeless census and survey in 2004 found more than 7,600 people are without shelter on any given night. Of those, 58 percent receive no government assistance, 75 percent report having a disability and 20 percent report working full or part time. The county is in the process of updating these numbers to achieve its 10-Year Plan To End Homelessness, which was adopted in 2005.
Gage also praised a county initiative to help the homeless stave off hunger with an expedited application process for food stamps. A pilot program will be launched Feb. 1 to shorten the wait time to receive benefits to three days.
“This is a giant step that the county has taken to serve the marginalized in our community,” Gage said. “Through efforts such as this, we will continue to improve on how we deliver services to the homeless.”
Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate, also a member of the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, endorsed the idea of forming a commission to expand discussion of issues surrounding homelessness.
“It’s very innovative and creative, putting a whole bunch of people together,” Tate said. “The statistics are interesting, in terms of saving money because people don’t go to the emergency room” if provided the option of transitional housing.
Sparky Harlan, CEO of the Bill Wilson Center, a non-profit transitional program in San Jose and Santa Clara serving runways, said Gage “hit the nail on the head” with his position to support transitional housing for the homeless.
“The only way to really cure homelessness is to put them into housing,” Harlan said. “I think his new blue ribbon committee, with all the high-power people he’s appointed to it, will kick-start this whole effort of ending homelessness.”
