Sheriff's Helicopter and Road Maintenance Restored to Next Year's Budget

Money to maintain 100 miles of roads and help keep the sheriff's office's helicopter flying were added back to the fiscal year 2011-12 Sonoma County budget this morning.

The Board of Supervisors restored those items by a straw vote. A final vote is scheduled for Thursday morning.

County Administrator Veronica Ferguson identified areas where $42.8 million had to be cut from the budget. Department heads also compiled lists of programs they wanted spared from the budget ax.

Supervisors spent the least three days reviewing those items that were placed on a budget restorations list. Programs and positions reinstated in the general fund budget by today's straw vote total $7.1 million.

Restored items related to the criminal justice system total $4.7 million.

Several board members indicated before the budget hearings this week that public safety, children and county residents who are particularly vulnerable to service cuts would be their priorities when adding people and programs back in the budget.

The total county budget is $1.2 billion, and the general fund portion of the budget for most county services was $379 million before this week's hearings. The board agreed to restore $900,000 to the sheriff's office's Henry-1 helicopter's $1.9 million budget that was slated, along with five employees, for elimination.

The helicopter responded 24/7 to searches and rescues, fires and law enforcement activities inside and outside the county. In addition to the $900,000, Sheriff Steve Freitas is adding to the helicopter budget the $300,000 that it would have spent to mothball Henry-1. Freitas also is shifting $200,000 in unspent revenue that had been set aside for a department audit. The helicopter budget now stands at $1.4 million.

The helicopter crew will be on duty eight hours and on call 16 hours five days a week, Freitas said.

The crew may or may not be available to respond to emergencies on the other two days, he added.

Supervisors also allocated $421,000 to maintain 100 miles of county roads and keep five road yards open all year round. The money matches $421,000 from fees paid by garbage haulers. Stopping maintenance on the 100 miles of county roads and closing the road yards would have saved $842,000.

Supervisor Valerie Brown said surveys indicated county residents' main concern is the quality of the roads.

The existence of the $1.6 million in franchise fee revenue came as a surprise to the supervisors when Ferguson and Transportation and Public Works Director Phil Demery mentioned it.

Supervisor Mike McGuire said he was "frustrated" it was mentioned only after a public outcry about deferring road maintenance, and Supervisor David Rabbitt said he was "flabbergasted that this fee revenue is just sitting there."

Board members also restored $870,000 to the Sierra Youth Center, a commitment program for girls that keeps them out of juvenile hall.

Before the budget hearings, the County Administrator's Office estimated there would be 223 vacancies and 63 layoffs to meet the $42.8 million deficit. It is now estimated there will be 133 vacancies and possibly 40 layoffs.

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