Where does the county’s money go?
You may not know this, but the Board of Supervisors has no control over the largest chunk of the county’s budget.
Most people are not aware that the largest portion of the county budget, 72 percent, is made up of “restricted funds,” which pay for the various state and federal programs that the county only administers according to legislative and congressional direction.
The remainder of the budget — 28 percent — has to pay for the rest of the services the county provides its citizens.
Of that 28 percent, some $60 out of every $100 goes toward the category of Public Protection.
Public protection includes:
Child Support Services
The District Attorney’s Office
Trial Court operations
The Grand Jury
The Public Defender’s Office
The Sheriff-Coroner’s Office
The Department of Corrections
Juvenile Hall
Probation
Fire Prevention
Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures
Building Inspections
County Clerk-Recorder
Planning
Water and Natural Resources
Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
Animal Services
Predatory Animal Control
Fish and Game
Some $26 out of every $100 of the money under the Board of Supervisors’ control goes toward General Government, which includes:
Board of Supervisors
Administrative Management/Purchasing
Auditor-Controller
Assessor
Treasurer-Tax Collector
County Counsel
Human Resources and Operations
Clerk-Recorder-Elections
Public Works Services
Special Districts Services
Engineering
Building Operations
Building Maintenance
Grounds Maintenance
Utilities
Agriculture/Capital Projects
Hall of Justice/Capital Projects
Courthouse Park
Jail Security Upgrade
Legal/Insurance
Central Services
311 Customer Service Center
Information Technology
Some $18 of every $100 goes toward Health and Sanitation. Under this heading are Behavioral Health Services, Public Health, Environmental Health, and the Refuse Disposal Liner Fund. And some $9 goes toward contingencies/reserves.
Some $7.40 of every $100 goes toward Public Ways and Facilities for roads, bridges and road transit.
About $3 of every $100 goes to Public Assistance for the state and federal programs (the 72 percent of the whole budget). This 3 percent is the county’s contribution to administer all the programs offered under Department of Social Services, In Home Supportive Services, Veterans’ Services, Public Guardian and Community Action Partnership.
And finally, about $2 of each $100 goes to Library Services.
David Rogers represents District 2 on the Madera County Board of Supervisors.
