The Colusa County Board of Supervisors are on target to spend $121.2 million this year – about 10 percent more than last year – after receiving a mid-year budget update on March 1.
About 38 percent of the total budget funds salaries and benefits for 413 employees, said County Administrative Officer Wendy Tyler.
Approximate top annual salary, benefits, and pension debts, based on (2020) Transparent California records, include $312,498 for County Counsel; $272,280 for Sheriff/Coroner; $257,310 for County Administrative Officer; $237,085 for Director of Health and Human Services; $230,890 for the District Attorney; $225,365 for Auditor Controller; $220,618 for Director of Community Development; $219,373 for Treasurer/Tax Collector; $216,128 for Director of Behavioral Health; $189,060 for Director of Public Works; $183,290 for Clerk/Recorder; $180,231 for Director of Information Technology; $172,271 for Chief Probation Officer; $172,272 for Library Director; and $148,352 for Agriculture Commissioner.
The five members of the Board of Supervisors cost taxpayers about $107,000 each for (part-time) salaries, benefits, and pension debt.
Tyler said most department expenditures are trending as they should, with no cause for concern.
Department highlights include efforts to recruit, select, and hire a new Behavioral Health director before the contract with the interim director expires in June. Plans for a nine-bedroom residential care facility for conserved individuals is moving forward in Williams, and a Behavioral Health Youth Center is in progress at the location of the former Sweet Beans coffee shop on Fifth Street.
The Agricultural Commissioner’s office is fully staffed. The Colusa County Sheriff’s department is staffed at 85 percent and continues to struggle to fill deputy sheriff and dispatch positions.
The Jail project is moving forward, but the delay will result in escalated construction costs, Tyler said.
“Something we will be dealing with as we develop next year’s budget is the county’s share of cost on that project,” Tyler said. “The latest cost estimate from Vander Construction for the county share has gone from $2.4 million to $5.1 million.”
The Board of Supervisors budget ad hoc committee will also be working to propose a plan for the $4.18 million American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded to Colusa County.
Tyler said the county did not suffer revenue losses during the pandemic, so the money would not be needed to backfill the general fund. Allowable uses for the money would include stormwater mitigation, water conservation, tourism restoration (East Park), broadband infrastructure, and miscellaneous capital improvements.
The board expects to have presentations on the jail and Sites Reservoir, where ARPA funds might be utilized in upcoming meetings.
The County’s hurdle – as budget preparations for next year move forward – will be how to handle the county’s unfunded pension liabilities and whether to maintain the status quo on positions, Tyler said. ■