Are Supervisors Meeting Board Objectives?

A review of Nevada County, CA, pay and performance.

When the Board of Supervisors convenes in January for the annual workshop, it sets the goals and budget priorities for the year. Fiscal stability is always at the top of the list. 

Memo from the Governor’s Office:

“The state is on pace to have a budget deficit of $68 billion in 2024-25, the Legislative Analyst’s Office reported. About $26 billion of that is from the deficit that is emerging on the books for the 2022-23 year.” 

Creating the Yearly Budget

A Temporary Ad Hoc Budget Subcommittee is appointed each year whose members provide a comprehensive review of department requests for service levels, funding, and staffing. The Subcommittee consists of two members of the Board of Supervisors, the elected Auditor-Controller, (Gina Will), CEO, (Alison Lehman), and Deputy CEO (Martin Polt).

Board Objectives

The Board Objectives for 2023-24, which include Fiscal Stability, Housing and Homelessness, are the same each year. Are we accomplishing these goals?

Housing: In 2018 Nevada County received a letter regarding its Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) Plan. 

The housing needs determination for the period 2018-2027 was 3,695 units among four income categories. 

Very Low: 834-22.6%

Low: 656-17.8%

Moderate: 622-16.8%

Above Moderate: 1,582- 42%

In a Grand Jury Investigation, titled Affordable Housing in Nevada County, the jury

“wished to determine the priority given to the affordable housing issue by the County and the extent to which efforts and resources have been applied to that priority on behalf of Nevada County citizens.”

The Jury’s conclusion was,

“Affordable housing goals remain unfulfilled because of a variety of public and private sector factors. In addition to those factors cited by interviewees, the Grand Jury found additional issues. For example, the BOS and county staff can be a major factor in accomplishing affordable housing goals in the county. Without their leadership and control, it will not happen.”

Yet, here’s what Supervisor Hall had to say, I’m happy to see that we are doing everything we can to make it easier to build houses here,” -Sierra Sun article, September 14th. 

Homelessness: Nevada County has a public health crisis. For the last ten years, Nevada County has had extremely limited shelter options for our homeless citizens. In winter months severe weather events continually leave people stranded in dangerously low temperatures. It’s dangerous to be too cold. A warming shelter that accommodates 15-20 people does not meet the need. The North San Juan Community Center, in District 4, is in desperate need of additional funding to keep the doors open. 

Continually moving the camps has resulted in appalling environmental degradation. A safe camping area with support services is needed immediately. It has to be placed on existing county-owned property with sufficient funding. Pleas by concerned groups to provide land and funding for a safe camp has fallen on deaf ears with the Board of Supervisors and Senior Staff. The community is fed up with the impacts of homelessness.

Supervisor Scofield had this to share “One thing that has surprised me, is that some of those folks (homeless) are living on friends or relative’s properties, have planned for basic needs and are perfectly happy living in their Tuff Sheds or other shelter that provides them with a place of their own.”- YubaNet, Oct. 25th

The County, however, does not allow Tuff Sheds, trailers, or 5 th wheels to be on private property. If a complaint is filed, the property owner will be fined and everyone will have to move. This policy needs reviewing.

Nevada County Adopted Budget 2023-24

Total Revenue: $349,499,084

Total Expenses: $369,817,435 

$139,826,681-Salaries & Benefits=40% (total county employees, 874)

$115,148,529-Services and Supplies=33% (no breakdown of actual expenses)

$67,824,879-Other Charges=19%

$15,458,915-Overhead Costs=4%

$35,182,879-Capital Assets=10%

$57,146,610-Other Financing Activities =16%

($60,871,058)-Inter-fund Activity

$100,000-Contingency

$369,817,435-Total Expenses

Nevada County per capita income: $41,079

Median Household Income: $68,333

2022 Total Salary & Benefits, County Senior Staff & Elected Officials

Alison Lehman, CEO- $430,800

Steve Monaghan, Chief Information Officer- $349,744

Katharine Elliot, County Counsel- $330,834

Trisha Tillotson, Community Development Agency- $329,734

Jesse Wilson, District Attorney- $326,834

Ryan Gruver, Health & Human Services Director- $322,636

Shannan Moon, Sheriff- $312,386    

Martin Polt, Deputy CEO- $305,652

Craig Greisbach, Office of Emergency Services- $287,707

Public Health Director- $273,856

Brian Foss, Director of Planning- $262,909  

Phebe Bell, Behavioral Health Director- $252,286

Caleb Dardick, Assistant CEO- $248,958  

Board of Supervisors Salary: $74,043/year, beginning 2024

Given the high salaries of senior staff and elected officials, the tax-paying public is asking for increased action and better performance in meeting Board Objectives. A 40% payroll expense is unsustainable, especially in light of the impending downturn in state funding. It is imperative that the Board of Supervisors fulfill its responsibility in meeting Board objectives, while, at the same time, ensuring Fiscal Stability.

“THE ENORMOUS pay going to the richest members of society is not necessary to get them to do the work they do. Nor does it reflect the societal value of their work. More often than not, their pay is way out of line with the common good.

Meanwhile, the current pay going to the working class is inadequate to provide people the standard of living they desire. It, too, is out of line with the common good.”

– Robert Reich

Pauli Halstead-Nevada City

Sources:

Nevada County 2023-24 Budget

Transparent California

https://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/nevada-county/

Regional Housing Need Determination

https://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/housingelement/docs/nevada_county_final_regional_housing_need_determination.pdf

Nevada County Housing Element

https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/26638/2019-2027-Housing-

Element-Update-Draft-PDF

Grand Jury Report on Housing

https://www.nevada.courts.ca.gov/system/files/0203-cog-affordablehousinginn.pdf