Supes to take on state for payments
In an agenda addendum released Friday, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors has announced its intentions to publicly oppose the state’s proposed plan to defer payments to counties at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
“It is requested that the board of supervisors transmit a letter of opposition to the appropriate legislative representatives relative to the severe financial impacts that the state’s proposed deferred payments would create,” stated a portion of the attached agenda summary. “The deferral of payments in such significant amounts, as proposed by the state controller and by administration, could have a devastating local impact of approximately $15 million dollars, and could make it impossible for Mendocino County to provide services to its most vulnerable citizens, as well as carry out local infrastructure projects. If the state fails to forward payments for health and human services programs and public works projects, Mendocino County will have a difficult time managing the cash-flow crisis that will result.”
On Wednesday, the California State Association of Counties released a similar statement which voiced its concerns with possible interruption.
“Rumors continue to swirl that a budget deal may be close to conclusion by the week’s end and that deferrals of payments to counties remain an element of that budget,” stated a portion of the release. “California counties will not be able to provide essential services to Californians if the proposal to delay payments to counties for seven months is a part of the final state budget--creating a disastrous situation across the state...California counties are gravely concerned by the proposal to delay approximately $3.5 billion in funding for not only health and human service programs, but transportation as well. Counties simply do not have the means to cover this significant shortfall and maintain services to needy Californians.”