The Future

By MIKE KANALAKIS

As we move forward into the 21st century, we have a unique opportunity to effect positive meaningful change.

As Monterey County continues to grow in population the department must grow to provide the service the public requires. The Department will have to establish a presence in North Monterey County with a full working station. Such a facility will cost approximately 1.4 million dollars to build excluding the price of the land.

Examining data provided by AMBAG, the US census Bureau, and our own department budgets for a sixty year period ( 1960 - 2020) illustrates some striking trends. We have gone from a department of 96 employees with a budget of $807,351 in 1960 to 500 employees with a budget of $52,000,000 in 2002. Based on this information we can project future growth needs of the Department and forecast out to 2020. I have created a balanced plan for growth for the Department based on past budgets, population trends, and calls for service in the non-incorporated areas.

Budget Issues

We need to look to ways to secure more grants and spread capital projects out over several years to accomplish key objectives. An example is asset forfeiture money. This has long been a cash cow that has never been spent with any long-range plan in mind. This money must only go to training, equipment and supplies that directly supports line services. We cannot plan for unintended consequences but we can spend money smarter and put it into things that directly enhance officer safety and supports the law enforcement mission of the Sheriff's Department. We can do it by forecasting our needs and channeling these revenue streams where they need to go, not by making daily snap decisions that drain our reserves. The Department is also eligible for reimbursement of state mandated programs under SB 90. The department must aggressively pursue these revenue sources in order to fund future programs.

Spending Plans

Year to year we do have a budget but we don't have spending plans. The various division commanders manage supplies, equipment, materials and services. The fiscal division manages personnel costs with funds being juggled to make ends meet on a daily basis. Factor in unplanned unbudgeted expenditures (not emergencies) and the department finds itself digging around to zero the books, robbing Peter to pay Paul. This practice has gone on for years mainly because we don't stick to our budgets and we don't have spending plans. If one particular unit spends all its money early in the fiscal year buying equipment and another does not it creates problems. Unfunded requests are typically approved on a case by case basis at the expense of a unit that still has an unobligated balance. Managers need to be held accountable and units need to have well defined spending plans specifying what will be purchased and when it will be purchased.

Performance Based Budgeting

We presently use a status quo line item budget planning process which allows us very little room for managed growth. We need to gradually get away from that. Since we are a labor-intensive organization approximately 80% of the Department budget goes to personnel wages and benefits. We have very little control over that. Another 5% deals with intergovernmental transfers, or doing business exclusively with other county departments. We can do better in this arena by outsourcing to cheaper vendors. In the end we are left with about 15% of our budget that we can actually work with in terms of programs.

A true performance based budget is not simply an object class budget with some program goals attached. It tells us much more than for a given level of funding a certain level of result is expected. Real performance based budgeting gives a meaningful indication of how the dollars are expected to turn into results. Not necessarily with precision, but with at least through a general chain of cause and effect. This is demonstrated by showing for each program area, how funds drive day to day operations, then how those operations generate output that produce results. Think of it as dollars equals results. Those programs that work will get funded. Those that don't will be scaled back until they do or they will be eliminated altogether. We have to ask ourselves why do have a specific program, how do we measure it and is it performing? Other government agencies, including many Sheriff' departments, use PBB. We need to get away from the status-quo budget process.

Summary

As we move forward into the 21st century, we have a unique opportunity to effect positive meaningful change. The challenges that face us include adapting to meet current and future needs through reorganization, identifying new innovative and creative programs that will bring the department closer to the public, dealing with recruitment and retention head on by actively working with collective bargaining units to establish ourselves as the highest paid agency in the county, addressing important budget issues, and planning for capital projects while adding additional personnel. The road ahead will be a challenge and we must have a road map to navigate through difficult times. Future generations will depend on what we do today. We can ill afford to continue and do business on a day to day basis without a road map.