The budget recommended by Santa Clara County Executive Pete Kutras Monday for fiscal year 2008-09 tackles a projected deficit of $227.2 million, which is a little lower than the midyear prediction, by drawing on reserves and increased revenues in some areas.
"It's like we're all on a bus together and we see there's a cliff up ahead; we know the cliff's coming, and, what we're recommending is like pressing down harder on the accelerator, making the cliff come sooner," he said. "It's like running a household without enough money and each year hoping a rich old aunt will die. This just gets us through the next year."
Kutrass said the recommended budget does not include state budget figures, so there may be cuts necessary to cover state reductions.
The proposed budget doesn't target specific South County programs, Kutras said, but residents who travel to San Jose for physical or mental health care services might be impacted.
"Outpatient mental health care is being hit particularly hard," he said. "Really, any mental health services will feel the impact."
To create the increase in revenues in many county departments for the recommended budget, costs have been cut as much as possible, he said.
"Essentially, we've had to put out a mandate to the organization in April to curb any spending unless it's urgent," he said. "That's the only way we were going to end up with funds to operate next year. It's a continual effort to try and keep these services going, a Herculean effort. We don't see any slack in demand for these services. The jail is at capacity, people that we could get out of jail need support services we can't provide, hospitals are full, there are not sufficient prevention programs to keep them out, Juvenile Hall is at capacity, the need for services is not diminishing."
Kutras said he believe there is no quick fix to the county's problems, but a tax might be a solution.
"I see two things, however, that there is one, no community consensus on what kind of services we desire, and two, a willingness to pay for the true cost of those services," he said.
He said he believes Proposition 13 is "backwards" in requiring a two-thirds majority for a special tax and a simple majority of 51 percent for a general tax.
Marilyn Dubil Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or send her an email.
