the linelead

OIG: Sheriff’s contracts taking needed local beds

Administrator — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:17:48 +0000

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department is turning away local criminals from its jails in order to continue collecting $25 million a year to house state and federal inmates. Read about it at SacBee.com.

Special investigation: Court computer boondoggle could cost $2 billion

Administrator — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:03:18 +0000

What started as a modest effort to upgrade computer systems in several southern California counties’ courts has turned into a massive statewide project that is years from completion and could cost more than $2 billion. The system would link all courts and include all case filings, judges’ calendars and more.

The bill

While no one disputes the need for a new court case management system, bad management, a lack of planning, faith in a failing company and other blunders have pushed the costs up and the completion date out of sight. (State court deal nears $2 billion – Sacramento Politics – California Politics | Sacramento Bee)

Check out a timeline of the project. (Timeline_ Efforts to develop a statewide courts computer system – Sacramento Politics – California Politics | Sacramento Bee)

Timeline

And here are more details on the system.

A number of judges have criticized the cost of the system publicly, in large part because the courts have been closing one day a month for budget reasons. The battle, however, is about more than just the budget. There is a power struggle going on in the state’s judicial system as the chief justice and Judicial Council continue the decade-long effort to wrest control of the courts from the counties and centralize power. (Critics urge openness from California courts office – Sacramento Politics – California Politics | Sacramento Bee)

After months of battles within the judicial branch, the two other branches of state government are weighing in. An Assembly committee is calling for more openness from the courts’ administration. (Assembly panel says agency should detail costs of courts – Sacramento Politics – California Politics | Sacramento Bee)

Budget roundup

Administrator — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:39:16 +0000

Budget, budget, budget. That’s the story in Sacramento County as the Board of Supervisors continues the slow, steady unwinding of government.
Check out some of the latest:
First there’s possible cuts to public health.
Then there’s the battle with unions over a controversial, back-door furlough.
Then things got even worse with new sales tax revenue projections.
A union hired homeless people to protest county outsourcing. (Yes, the union outsourced its protesting.)
And don’t expect the pain to stop after this budget. Bad times are still ahead.
So one supervisor asked staff to fudge the numbers to make things appear better on paper.
The county ended up cutting $76 million more.
Scared at the prospect of losing more benefits, the county’s managers might try to unionize.
Several unions agree to concessions.
Those concessions, however, aren’t enough to stop more layoffs.
Ugh. More to come.

County could open land to development

Administrator — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:19:34 +0000

Sacramento County could open 20,000 acres to development as part of its General Plan update. Environmentalists are none too happy. Read about it at SacBee.com. (20,000 acres to be opened under plan – Sacramento Politics – California Politics | Sacramento Bee)

Dugard case gives hope to others

Administrator — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:06:34 +0000

A high profile kidnapping case has given hope — much of it false — to families who also lost loved ones and the law enforcement agencies that have long tried to solve the cases. (pdf)

Made to be broken

Administrator — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:04:08 +0000

Sacramento County’s top municipal service folks tried to skirt civil service rules and hire a new top building official who didn’t meet minimum qualifications and applied late. The Civil Service Commission said no way, so the county created a new job for the guy. (pdf)

Budget axe back

Administrator — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:01:18 +0000

Sacramento County is bracing for more budget cuts. This time officials need to close a $54.5 million gap and are proposing to cut more than 370 jobs. (pdf)

Sorry, can’t do that

Administrator — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:57:42 +0000

In an effort to cut costs a couple years ago, Sacramento County did away with a retiree health subsidy. A state adjudicative body, however, just found the county can’t make such unilateral changes. This means the county could be on the hook for $2 million in back benefits and big bucks going forward. (pdf)

Budget threatens county psych hospital

Administrator — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:54:44 +0000

Sacramento County’s dire budget situation could mean big cuts for the county-run psychiatric hospital. The county might cut half the facility’s 100 beds and close the crisis unit. (pdf)

Didn’t we just do this?

Administrator — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:52:05 +0000

Weeks after closing a $180 million deficit and passing a “balanced” budget, Sacramento County officials are saying there’s a new $38 million deficit. Cuts to come. (pdf)