Ledger-Dispatch

By Bethany A. Monk (bmonk@ledger-dispatch.com) =

The county's proposed budget includes = funds to=20 help restore the Amador County Museum's roof. The cost of the = project is=20 estimated at about $300,000, according to County Administrative = Officer=20 Terri Daly.

Photo by: Bethany A.=20 Monk
There's a current hiring freeze in the = county,=20 and many might say that's a good thing.

The Amador County Board = of=20 Supervisors unanimously approved the county's 2008-09 recommended budget = Tuesday=20 after the item was postponed from last week's agenda. County = Administrative=20 Officer Terri Daly presented the proposed budget to the board during = last week's=20 meeting and again at this week's meeting.

The county's new = budget,=20 described as "a very modest increase" in a document from last week's = meeting,=20 represents just a 1 percent increase from last year's budgeted $72.9 = million,=20 bringing next fiscal year's expenditures to $73.4 million.

Daly = told=20 supervisors that although expenses are going up and salaries are = increasing, the=20 county has not been hiring.

"Salary costs have risen 8 percent," = said=20 District 5 Supervisor Brian Oneto, echoing Daly prior to the board's = decision to=20 pass the recommended budget. "I don't see the economy picking up much in = the=20 nation and state. We should be very prudent."

In addition to the = hiring=20 freeze, other "prudent" cost-saving avenues the county is traveling = include an=20 early retirement incentive, temporary transfers and a voluntary furlough = program. The latter, thus far, seems to be most popular.

Daly = said the=20 deadline for voluntary furlough applications was Monday, and that 50 = employees=20 had collectively volunteered to take time off. This, she added, = represents 5,700=20 hours of work time and will save the county a lot of money.

"I, = too,=20 applied for two unpaid furlough days a month," Daly said. "I won't be = going=20 anywhere," she added, noting that she'll most likely still work those=20 days.

"But I won't be paid," she said. "I'd like to do my part. I = hope=20 other management will partake."

Other costs in the newly approved = budget=20 include $500,000 for continual plans to close a county-owned landfill = south of=20 Ione, $500,000 for outside counsel to work on Indian gaming issues, and = $460,000=20 for the county planning department's efforts to continue the general = plan=20 update.

The county is now in the process of sending the approved = budget=20 to the state, which will have its finalized budget completed most likely = in=20 September or October, Daly said last week.

Bethany A. = Monk