County officials give department updates in webinar

Monterey County officials hosted a webinar on Wednesday focused on the county’s budget priorities and current challenges, following the Board of Supervisors recent unanimous vote to enact a hiring freeze on positions funded by the general fund’s discretionary revenue. Department heads also took time to give an update on their staff and current projects and what some of their goals for the next year are.

Assistant County Administrative Officer Ezequiel Vega broke down how the county’s budget process works and where the money is allocated to. The largest portions county-wide budget included $886.8 million in the general fund, $426.5 million for Natividad Medical Center and $172.6 million for behavioral health.

“The majority of the services provided to the community come out of the general fund,” Vega said.

There was a break down of the general fund budget, with 32% of the budget being for social services, 19% for the Sheriff’s Office and 18% for health to name a few. Vega also specified that most of the funding is not discretionary, or able to be directed on by the Board of Supervisors.

“For example in social services and the health department, that is programmed revenue and that is specifically funded by revenue received from clinics, insurance companies and Medi-Cal,” Vega said. “The Board of Supervisors receives approximately 300 million out of the 800 million in discretionary revenue.”

Using $1 as representation of how taxes are broken down, county officials say county residents pay 41 cents to health and sanitation, 28 cents to public safety management, 18 cents to public assistance, 10 cents to government administration, two cents to recreations and culture and one cent to education.

Supervisor Glenn Church listed out the county’s top five budget priorities this year including road and infrastructure repairs, water and sewage projects, parks projects, essential county services and programs like housing affordability and healthcare and public safety management.

Church also gave an update on Measure AA, which will be on the ballot for voters living in unincorporated Monterey County.

If passed, it will increase the sales tax in unincorporated Monterey County by 1%, making it more inline with the tax rates in the cities and neighboring counties. Currently, unincorporated Monterey County has one of the lowest tax rates in the area.

“Because the sales tax only affects unincorporated residents, only unincorporated voters can vote on it,” Church said. “The Board also directed that these sales tax revenues should stay for services in unincorporated Monterey County. Although these funds will go into the general fund, a special account will be created so those revenues can be tracked and transparent.”