Three budget workshops scheduled for coming weeks

EL CENTRO — Three workshops have been scheduled in the coming weeks as the Imperial County Board of Supervisors attempts to wring the red ink out of the next budget.

Budget workshops are scheduled for Aug, 20, Aug. 27 and Sept. 10, when the board is expected to vote on the final budget.

The tentative budget presented to the supervisors in June was close to $498 million, which was $18 million more than the budget approved last year.

The proposed budget consists of $218.2 million in the general fund, almost $210 million for special revenue and $69.5 million in special funds.

Supervisor Ray Castillo said the county is still having budget meetings, while department heads are meeting with supervisors in an attempt to reduce the deficit.

“We know what the (tentative) budget is, and we will try to stay with the guidelines with what is being proposed,” Castillo said.

The supervisors previously approved a three-year budget mitigation plan where vacancies were frozen to save $6 million, but Castillo pointed out some vacant positions, created through retirement and other reasons, might have to be filled.

Those decisions, he said, will be up to the supervisors.

“The board does not want to deviate from the plan,” he said. “We will do whatever it takes to reach that goal.”

But they might have to deviate from the plan if the tentative budget remains the same.

The supervisors were told in June the threeyear mitigation plan would now save the county $4.2 million.

“It’s a process that is ongoing,” he said, comparing it to a roadmap.

He said the supervisors realize they cannot run the county on a deficit, and Supervisor Jesus Eduardo Escobar has been the most vocal board member in attempting to make sure this does not happen.

Castillo, who thinks the board will find solutions before it votes on the next budget, said every year is different and there is some educated guesswork involved based on projected taxes and other revenues.

While Castillo said there are big questions to answer with the budget, he was adamant there should be no layoffs.