Wednesday, September 27, 2006 11:14 PM PDT

Supervisors attend to street repair projects with extra dollars

By: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer

Placer County supervisors adopted a $689 million final budget Tuesday that puts more peace officers on the job, increases funding for road maintenance, and envisions a sheriff's helicopter in the air within two years.

With any smoke from major discussions at workshops in August already cleared and no major issues emerging during a public hearing two weeks earlier, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to approve the 2006-07 final budget. Last year's final budget was $601 million.

While further spending can be approved in a future board vote, the budget is the major financial planning blueprint for the next nine months. The fiscal year runs through the end of June.

Supervisor Jim Holmes, who represents the Auburn area, said he's pleased the county has been able to avoid revenue and spending problems many other rural counties are currently dealing with around the state.

"Listening to the troubles of other rural and suburban counties, I feel good about our county's ability to sustain programs," Holmes said. "We're in good financial shape."

Supervisor Bruce Kranz, whose district takes in eastern Placer County, said that he'd even like to look into the possibility of returning tax dollars to Placer County residents if current levels of service can be continued and funding for future retiree benefits are being taken care of.

Over the past two years, the county has set aside $20 million in revenues for future benefit needs while continuing to maintain a balanced budget.

"We're fortunate because most counties don't have the money to do that," Kranz said.

Kranz, with strong support from Sheriff Ed Bonner, was able to get board commitment to set aside $1 million for a new Eurocopter helicopter. The chopper, which could be used for initial attack operations on wildland fires as well as sheriff's patrol duty, was a major budget highlight for Kranz. County staff is now determining the copter's total costs before supervisors make a firm commitment.

"I'm glad to see that and I'm confident that we'll get it after due diligence is completed," Kranz said.

Holmes pointed to 11 new public-safety positions that were included after August workshops in the final budget. The District Attorney's Office will have five new hires while the sheriff's and probation departments will add three apiece.

Holmes added that additional positions with the library system (a children's librarian in Rocklin) and with the Veterans Service Office (support staff for expanding services in the Roseville area) are also plusses for the county. The county's work force now stands at 2,794 full-time and 49 part-time employees.

Kranz and Holmes have been strong supporters of timber-tax revenue from the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act being used for fuel-load reduction and fire prevention programs. Supervisors voted to use the $300,000 available this year for a variety of programs in those areas.

"Many people are glad to see those funds continuing to be used in the fight against catastrophic wildfire," Kranz said.

On Tuesday, supervisors voted to send a letter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in support of continuing the timber-tax funding program, which is due to cease next year.

Holmes said that a funding increase for the Placer Arts Council was a comparatively small but positive step for the arts community. The contract was increased from $120,000 to $150,000.

"It's important for communities like Auburn, where the Art Walk put on by the council provides exposure to shops and artists," Holmes said.

Another highlight for Holmes was the inclusion of an additional $300,000 in the county road overlay program - extra funding that promises to help offset increased costs of materials because of oil price increases. A total of $3 million had earlier been approved.

Supervisor Robert Weygandt was absent from Tuesday's meeting.

In other board business, supervisors approved a contract with Auburn contractor Solar Power for installation of a 325-kilowatt, ground-mounted solar-power generating system for the Youth Detention Center in North Auburn.

The system will be installed and operated by Solar Power for 10 years, with the county paying for energy at rates set last May. The county will also pay $50,000 a year over 10 years before taking ownership of the system and the power it generates for the final 25-year life of the facility.

Energy generated over the 40-year life of the system has an estimated value of $3.9 million, Facility Services Director Jim Durfee said.

The Journal's Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.