Cuts could chop Placer County Sheriff’s new helicopter
Take-home cars by law enforcement to be scrutinized by budget-wary supervisors
Grounding the Sheriff’s Department new helicopter, further depleting reserves, and tightening take-home-vehicle policies for law enforcement are among the new options on the table as Placer County supervisors sit down Tuesday to try to close an increasingly widening budget gap. With passage of a state budget Thursday, early county estimates are that it will add $3.4 million to an anticipated $15.2 million shortfall between revenues and potential expenditures in the coming fiscal year. The county had to slash expenditures and dip into its reserves this year to shore up a $9.5 million revenue shortfall. With more savings needed next fiscal year and even more anticipated over the following two years, supervisors are looking at cuts closer to the bone – but continue to look for ways to avoid layoffs. Supervisor Kirk Uhler said Friday he’s pleased county staff did “a very good job” in anticipating what would be in the final state budget. Supervisors will be formally presented Tuesday with forecasts that anticipate shortfalls of $20.8 million in 2010-11 and $29.2 million in 2011-12. The current budget adopted in September calls for $865 million in expenditures. “I’m telling constituents, employees and staff that government on all levels can’t continue to operate the way it has – that the pieces of the pie are shrinking,” Uhler said. Counties around the state are in similar circumstances, if not worse. Paul McIntosh, California State Association of Counties executive director, said Friday the organization is concerned about cuts to health and human services programs at a time when the state’s residents need them more than they have in the past. But county governments are understanding that the state isn’t going to get through the current economic downturn without major cuts, he said. “I don’t think anyone gains from this,” McIntosh said. “Except that there’s some resolution to a long and protracted issue.” With the state budget deal completed Friday, counties like Placer can now focus on their own spending plans. Supervisors will get an update on a budget for next year that aims to finalize spending sooner than the normal September vote. County Executive Officer Tom Miller said in a prepared statement issued Friday that staff is recommending that supervisors give directions on strategy now to allow proposed changes to take place when the fiscal year starts July 1. After establishing four mandatory furlough days for county staff from December through June, the CEO’s office is asking for a continuation that would see 12 more one-day closures of county offices over the coming year. A survey of upper- and mid-management staff found nine out of 10 preferred reductions in pay over layoffs and most favored furloughs. Also on the table is an option to cap a November cost-of-living adjustment at 2.5 percent. But the proposals on which supervisors will provide guidance Tuesday will also dig deeper. They include: - The possibility of selling the Aerostar Eurocopter helicopter approved for purchase by the board in mid-2007. A report to the board says one-time costs for both the helicopter and add-on equipment have increased from the original $3.4 million estimate to $4 million. Because of the way funding was established, the county is $1.5 million short on paying that bill. In addition, no new funding source has been identified to cover yearly operating costs of between $330,000 and $530,000. - Staff is providing an option that could result in a reduction of the number of unmarked public safety vehicles by 50 percent to no more than 52 vehicles. The report says Placer County currently has a total of 128 vehicles assigned for take-home use, with the Sheriff’s Department using most of those. The program now has evolved to where Placer County vehicles are being taken home out of county and, in one instance, out of state, the reports says. - Other proposals are to limit future SUV acquisitions for take-home use to specific off-road and snow country applications and that all non-patrol and non-investigative vehicles be clearly marked as Placer County cars. - $4 million in funding to shore up next year’s budget to come from the county’s reserves. The CEO’s office anticipates that reserves will be drawn down over the next fiscal years at $4 million to $5 million a year. A total of $1.7 million in reserve money was used in this year’s budget. Supervisors are scheduled to take up budget items at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the board chambers at 175 Fulweiler Ave. in Auburn. The Journal’s Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.
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This helicopter is a big waste of taxpayer money, they already have several helicopters and a airplane. The equipment they have now collects more dust from sitting around than from being used so whats the justification? More waste of taxpayers money along with all their out of control overtime pay.
This helicopter is used for transporting Sheriff and County officials between south Placer and Tahoe city. It usually seen over a home on Sherwood court in Loomis which resides the Loomis Substation Commander and his wife a Sheriff Evidence Technician. I noticed the article did not bring up the maintenance costs and replacement parts of the helicopter. It is and always has been the BLING BLING for which it does nor ever has pulled its weight. Best to sell it off and put the money back into the budget so we taxpayers can get some legitimate work done in this county that can bring in taxes. Perhaps the Sheriffs and local Police patrol vehicles can post advertisements on the sides or back to bring in some money. I would rather see more deputies in patrol cars on the ground than in the air when the 60,000 prisoners in the state prisons are released. Selling that BLING BLING would be a good thing!
Start by looking at the compensation packages for the CEO and his band of assistants, they make obscene amounts, the top two make more than the Governor of the State the others more than the Lt. Gov. then keep going down the line. Consolidate so Managers have more people under them, same with Supervisors. There are all kinds of waste that can be trimmed without affecting law enforcement. Do away with car subsidies and other than those with proven need, not as a perk, take the cars home.
loomisresident: Yes, but they need to start scrutinizing the purchase of million dollar air toys.
This toy? or Bling Bling as you all have put it has saved countless lives and assisted law enforcements agencies in Placer and other counties. This "Toy" has the ability to be an aerial platform to assist deputies in the performance of their duties. The current helicopter, and i do mean singular is over thirty years old. It must be replaced as soon as possible to avoid what I can only assume a tradgedy in the waiting. The two assisgned deputies who risk their lives to find lost loved ones and assist in the apprehension of hiding suspects do not consider this machine a toy. As a growing county we must fund these type of investments to assist law enforcement with their duties. If we lose the tool for use in our county i sure hope that the people who are so vocal about letting it go don't find themselves in a time of need where the help of a helicopter could save their lives. There are things we should cut, i do not believe this is one of them. I ask each and every resident to think before they speak, this is not a time for personal attacks. Its a time to be educated before you make stupid comments just because you feel the need to be heard.
henrybomb, I agree with you that the present helo, an OH-58 or Bell Jet Ranger in the civilian version is old and must be replaced, this is an Army surplus unit that I believe was either donated to the County or we paid minimally for it. However, in this time of very tight budgets it may be prudent to let the CHP continue to provide helicopter support, they do provide most of it for rescues and recoveries at this time anyway and it may prevent possible layoffs. And yes, these craft are not toys, they are valuable tools.
Money can be saved by getting rid of the Board of Supervisors vehicles. Rocky Rockholm has a giant of a vehicle that probably gets less mileage than a sherman tank and he is not too far below the rest of the Supervisors rank. There is no need for the expensive vehicles being used by the Board of Supervisors. Whats wrong with using a Toyota Prius. Think of the money it will save. Back to the bling bling helicopter....when the Sheriffs Office lets a skull from a crime committed in the mid 1980's by a then Sheriffs Sergeant and no one can figure out it should be sent out for DNA and was not sent out for DNA for years.....perhaps the money saved by selling the bling bling could be used to hire more competent personnel.
The bottom line is tax payers who are getting the short end of the stick expect cuts in the Sheriffs budget like every one else. If we can't expect the Sheriffs to do their job its a lot like asking a crack dealer to watch the pharmacy while you are away. We are all making sacrifices and we cannot afford to send your personnel to flight school. Get real! Knock on the federal agencies doors to have them assist you in your problems. Ask Darrel Steinberg at the Capital for help.....guarantee you he is too busy helping the Maloof brothers to get their new stadium or perhaps he just did by raising our taxes. Put your crack pipe down....if money was running out of Steinbergs nose he wouldn't blow it on you or your bling bling problems. Your head has literally been in the clouds far too long!
It's about time they look at cutting the "take home vehicles" especially for the ones that don't get "called out", it's Placer County, come on how often do they really have to be called out anyway. They should drive their cars and pay for this outrageous gas just like the rest of us civilian workers.
Do these officers with take home cars also get a county credit card for gas? Also, do the detectives gat take home cars?
Perhaps the Sheriffs Office could take note of Arizona Sherrif Joe Arpaio, stop building multi million dollar jails and pitch military tents. Cut the cost of meals down and cancel their cable tv and pull out the TV's. Two less bills to pay. Whats wrong with reading books?
It’s important that folks really know what they are talking about before spreading mis-information about the perceived “Bling-Bling” helicopter. The helicopter is essential to patrol related functions. Their missions vary from finding lost people in the high country, to finding young or old people who have gotten lost in the foothills and valley. They set perimeters on life threatening incidents and manage a crisis from the air so patrol deputies can respond efficiently to capture a criminal. They fly our foothills and find and mark Mexican Cartel marijuana growing operations. They transport and extract deputies who are tasked with trying to apprehend these criminals in rugged terrain. They manage police pursuits to help reduce the possibility of injury to our citizens and apprehension of the suspect. This unit has been responsible for saving numerous lives, not extrapolated through deduction or reason, I talking about real life saving measures. Flying supervisors around from Tahoe to Loomis? That’s new, I wondering if you are talking about Rockholm’s air trip into Truckee!
There must be an awful lot of rugged terrain, marijuana farms, and officers in desperate need of extraction around Bell and 49 in Auburn. That helicopter seems to spend hours hovering over that area every week, especially on the weekends at night. That must be when the marijuana plants sprout. God knows what will happen to us all when all this essential hovering and spotlighting over our rugged marijuana infested town is forced to cease. I just pray we can all live through it, somehow.
Hey auburntom, that's near where the airport is! Maybe that's why they are there so much! LOL
$4 million total for this one helicopter? 128 vehicles assigned for take-home use? In these times, there should be no sacred cows--not even Law Enforcement. If we're gonna cut government waste, no sector should be spared.
In reference to cuts in the county; the Sheriffs Office has become too big, too expensive and the bling bling helicopter would be better off if several law enforcement agencies shared expenses of it. An example would be calling it a department of public safety. Have Roseville, Rocklin, Fire Departments etc. pay into it. Next time you find a lost hiker they should be charged with the total amount money that was expended for the recovery. Tax payers should not pay for their stupidity. Perhaps the Sheriffs Office and other agencies should do more asset forfeitures to pay for these expenses. Don't try to confuse us with your want to be military operations in the rugged terrain. We have a National Guard so why don't you have them help you. They have all the helicopters and some real shiny bling bling tanks you can play with. Tap their funds and chalk it up as a training expense. They are week end warriors and have become quite accustomed to hot environments. Stop thing about you.....people are losing jobs and your bling bling needs to go pay for some bills.
"$4 million total for this one helicopter? 128 vehicles assigned for take-home use? In these times, there should be no sacred cows--not even Law Enforcement. If we're gonna cut government waste, no sector should be spared. "
Yes I agree but the quesiton is in good times why are we wasting this money? And contract those expensive jail jobs as well, there is no reason to waste overtime on jobs that can be performed much cheaper than deputies. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to do bed checks...and a 6 figure salary..
auburnite, most employees in the jail are civilian staff, not deputies.
Those civilian employees in the jail, regardless they are under the Sheriffs department. With all the overtime reported in the Auburn Journal some one can't make a decision, provides favoritism, ill planning etc. I called the Sheriffs Office and it seems the amount of supervisors (cpls, sgt. lt's, capt etc) are disproportional or as they say in the big league "too many chiefs and too few Indians to get the job done". Its kind of like the CALTRANS of northern California. You probably have seen three CALTRANS supervisors watching one laborer digging a hole in the ground....same principal! Money was being handled out to the correctional officers like a drunken Kennedy in a cheap Vegas strip joint. By all appearances it looks like the Sheriffs Office has been receiving and Economic Stimulus Payment and package for far too long. It obvious the tax raise we just received by the State was partially responsible for the lack of spending control at the Sheriffs Office and by the Board of Supervisors. Your uncontrollable spending is more dangerous to our liberties than the standing armies of crooks and criminals about to be released from the State prisons. Tax payers are being deprived of all property, employment and a retirement and you cry wolf over your bling bling.
paigeturner, you're funny! The civilian CO's were used to staff the jail as a cost saving measure. Also, I don't think the sheriff has a corporal position as you claim. Further, I was told the entire jail management team consists of 1 captain and 2 Lts. Hardly top heavy there! I don't read even one of your claims that has any merit. Facts woman, facts!!! lol