County leaders will talk budget

Tuolumne County officials will continue digging into finances on Tuesday as the Board of Supervisors further discusses the county’s outstanding liabilities and decides how to spend some of its one-time surplus funds.

According to the agenda for Tuesday’s board meeting, supervisors are scheduled to hold a workshop on the county’s outstanding debts and upcoming personnel and pension costs. At the same meeting, they will also vote on spending almost $1.9 million in one-time funds the county has on-hand, almost $1.2 million could go toward paying down current or future debts.

The workshop will further detail a presentation County Administrator Craig Pedro gave last month. Pedro has said the county’s outstanding long-term liabilities include $2.76 million for workman’s compensation, $7.3 million for potential leave, $18.4 million for executive retirement, $9.1 million for other employees’ retirement, $17.19 million for safety employees in the state’s Public Employees Retirement System, and $20.75 million for other employees in PERS.

Pedro also recently detailed the county’s outstanding debt, which totals $12.3 million in eight accounts with projected annual payments between 2012 and 2020 ranging from about $983,500 to $1.5 million.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors is also expected to make a final decision on about $2.3 million in one-time surplus funds. Earlier this month, Supervisors voted 5-0 to put the following proposal for the funds on the agenda: leave $500,000 as a “cushion,” then pay about $1.2 million toward debt, $57,000 toward customer service projects, $100,000 toward jail maintenance and about $501,000 for road maintenance.

The proposal will require at least four of five votes to pass, according to meeting documents.

Also on Tuesday’s agenda:

• A possible settlement in a dispute between the county and the local Deputy Sheriff’s Association over scheduling. The deputies’ bargaining unit recently sued to force arbitration over a change for the 35 patrol deputies to 12-hour shifts and about 50 jail deputies to eight-hour shifts. The deputies in those departments previously worked four 10-hour shifts four days a week.  

The change was made to cut back on overtime costs, but the Deputy Sheriff’s Association contends the change violated their contract with the county.

• A contract for up to $94,300 with Nichols Consulting Engineering to update the county’s pavement management program. Also, the board will consider a $15,000 contract with Category Five Professional Consulting for training on the county’s new emergency operations plan.

• A presentation by Tuolumne Utilities District officials on the district’s treated water optimization plan.

• An updated franchise agreement with Moore Bros. Scavenger Co. for solid waste pickup.

• A proposal to divide a 22-acre parcel owned by Darlene Mae Stieler into nine residential plots between two and three acres and about eight acres of open space. The proposed subdivision is located near Apple Colony Road in Tuolumne.

Contact Chris Caskey at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 588-4527.