“Painful” decisions ahead as Monterey Co. navigates budget during pandemic

The county’s approach to minimize layoffs

LARGEST COUNTY ONTHE CENTRAL COAST..TRYING TO BALANCE ITSBUDGET DURING THECOVID19 PANDEMIC..IN THIS CASE WE'RETALKING ABOUTMONTEREY COUNTY..WHICH IS ON THE VERGEOF APPROVING A 1-POINT-6 BILLION DOLLARBUDGET..SO HOW THEY DOINGIT??

FOR SOMEANSWERS WE GO TOACTION NEWS EIGHTREPORTER FELIX CORTEZ.DURING THIS COVID19PANDEMIC WHEN MANYCOUNTY AND LOCALGOVERNMENTS ARE LOOKINGAT HUGE BUDGET DEFICITSAND LAYOFFS..MONTEREY COUNTY ISLOOKING AT ONLY 4 LAYOFFMONTEREY COUNTYBALANCED IT'S BUDGET BYDIPPING INTO RESERVES..LEAVING VACANT POSITIONSUNFILLED..

AND MOVINGAROUND MILLIONS OFDOLLARS..

BUT SHERIFF SAIDSERVICE COULD BE REDUCEDIF SUPERVISORS APPROVETHE BUDGET AS IS..SUPERVISOR JANE PARKERSAID LIMITED DOLLARSSHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THEMOST VUNERABLEBUT COUNTY LEADERSCLEARLY AWARE THE MONTHSAHEAD COULD BRING MORECUTS..

TAX REVENUES AREDOWN BECAUSE OFCOVID19..AND PROPERTY TAXES WHICHTHE COUNTY RELIES HEAVILYON ARE NOW DELINQUENT INMANY CASES..

AND THESTATE IS LOOKING AT A 54BILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT ..ANOTHER SOURCE OFREVENUE FOR COUNTIES ANDCITIES..FELIX CORTEZREPORTING.MONTEREY COUNTYSUPERVISORS ARESCHEDULED TO RESUMEBUDGET TALKSTOMORROW MORNING..WITH A POSSIBILITY THEYCOULD APPROVE THEBUDGET TOMORROW###COMING