What would you do if you had $5.7 billion of the public’s money to invest in San Diego? Put it toward homelessness and mental health? Parks, libraries and open space? Roads, law enforcement, children’s services and seniors? All those and more are important and deserve support.
Dividing up that money is the challenge we face over the next two months as the CAO’s operational plan is presented to the Board of Supervisors and debated by members of our community.
As you may know, not all our resources are local. About 40 percent of the County’s budget depends on revenue directed here by the federal and state governments with tons of regulations that dictate how we can and can’t spend it. Which raises the question: How do we stay committed to our local vision when so much is open-ended – and potentially changing – at the federal and perhaps, then, state levels? How do we continue to ensure our region is Building Better Health, Living Safely, and Thriving?
As a county government, we’ve proven we’re up to the challenge. When revenues plunged in the Great Recession, we adapted with far less pain than most agencies. The same proactive management will keep us on course, whatever’s ahead in the federal budget or otherwise. But it won’t be easy. Sacramento revenues are down for the first time in several years so Sacramento has reverted to old tricks; they pass programs to counties and let them figure out how to pay for them.
That’s exactly what has happened with the In-Home Supportive Services program. With the stroke of a pen, the Department of Finance has pushed the cost of the fastest growing entitlement program back to counties without sufficient dollars to pay for it. Poof! When the dust settles, the state’s actions shoot a $25 million hole into our proposed budget that will grow to $90 million in just a few short years.
And that’s not all. Escalating retirement costs and the need to lower investment return expectations shoots another $30 million to $60 million hole in the budget. The potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act by the federal government could be millions more.
Well, good thing we’re always up for a fiscal fight! And not because we enjoy fighting. But because we have a strong fiscal foundation that allows us to weather these brawls. Yes, we are criticized by some for being fiscally prudent, but it’s fights like these that reinforce how important it is to have our fiscal house in order. Counterparts around the state are implementing significant cost-cutting measures and hiring freezes. We are not! We are able to draw down reserves on a temporary basis to meet program needs and thoughtfully phase in long-term program changes and propose reasonable wage and benefit increases.
Investing in San Diego is our priority. The 2017-2019 Recommended Operational Plan represents necessary, prioritized spending that addresses the needs of today, while setting the region and our employees up for the future.
For example, this year, we will add resources to help troubled youth get back on the right track. We’re adding rapid response advocates to assist victims when human trafficking is reported through the child abuse hotline. The District Attorney will add staff to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of this terrible crime. A new mentoring program will pair youth in the juvenile justice system with community mentors from similar backgrounds who have transformed their own lives. We’ll also focus this year on new housing support services for families served through CalWORKs and Child Welfare Services.
Investing in youth always pays off, but changing demographics also mean that planning for older San Diegans is important, too. We’ll work collaboratively to develop and enhance programs for seniors living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and to make sure those living in residential care facilities or with support at home are safe and well cared for. We will focus on “Aging Well” programs that encourage seniors to exercise, eat well, and keep their minds active, while staying connected to their community.
This year, we continue our focus on helping people with mental illness find housing and stability. That means investment in services and working with the region’s cities and landlords on Project One for All, which has a goal of providing comprehensive behavioral health services and housing to 1,250 seriously mentally ill people living on the streets. We will increase inpatient services to get people through a mental health crisis and make sure they have options for ongoing care. We will expand transitional services and alternative custody mental health programs to reduce the number of mentally ill people in jail. These investments in mental health and housing will help vulnerable San Diegans in meaningful and lasting ways.
We will also invest in building community, both physically, as in buildings and parks, and also in cultivating trust and tailoring services to make sure neighborhoods thrive. We will continue to pursue new libraries and set aside open space through our Multiple Species Conservation Plan, which has preserved 19,600 acres of land. This investment in San Diego’s natural resources will benefit generations to come.
We’re building community models of service delivery and engagement, such as restorative justice and regional “Live Well Centers” that combine services to help families thrive close to home. The Sheriff’s Department will begin use of body-worn cameras to meet public expectations and ensure the public’s trust — a key to safe communities and neighborhood problem-solving. We will invest in the Sheriff’s Communications Center, adding dispatchers to maintain our timely and capable response to 911 calls.
We’ll continue our practice of improving roads and investing in County facilities. This year, we will resurface more road segments across the county as part of a multi-year project. In an effort to revitalize the County’s building infrastructure and reduce ongoing maintenance and repair costs, the County has implemented an improvement program for older facilities. This year’s budget includes funding for 24 capital projects ranging from public safety facilities and fire stations to recreational facilities and playgrounds.
And we’re investing in our most valuable resources, our employees, with proposed long-term stable wage and benefit increases, training, technology enhancements and facility improvements.
Yes, it’s an ambitious operational plan, particularly when unexpected challenges crop up. But we’re prepared. The heart of our success has been fiscal stability, systemic financial planning and our innovative, dedicated workforce.
You can be proud of the role you play in our investment in San Diego!
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