The next four months of work for Sonoma County supervisors will be focused on tackling the county's looming general fund budget gap, now at $42.3 million.
The state's own budget mess and related proposals that would shift more public services to county control are part of that focus.
But the daunting fiscal challenges are just the beginning of what promises to be a difficult to-do list in 2011. Also in play are an overhaul of the county's pension system, a look at spurring economic development, tourism and job creation, and a focus on boosting investment in public infrastructure and energy efficiency.
"The budget is at the top. There's no way to get around that," said Supervisor Valerie Brown, who is leading a statewide county task force studying the state budget. "Everything else gets drafted into a second, third and fourth priority. But I don't think there's anything we can lose sight of. It's all important."
Supervisors Tuesday followed up a January planning session and finalized their working road map for the coming year. In addition to the budget, here are the priorities:
THE PENSION: Reform of the pension system is on the list to control the rapid rise of county retirement costs.
Taxpayer contributions to the county pension system have more than tripled in the past decade, and that's without accounting for additional payments on pension bond debt, which have pushed the county's current annual pension payment over $92 million.
Supervisors Shirlee Zane and David Rabbitt volunteered to lead an informal board study group looking at changes to the county system. County Administrator Veronica Ferguson is also engaging employee groups in talks about establishing a new, lower level of benefits for incoming county employees.
"I feel very passionately that we can achieve a balance that is fair to the county employee and fair to the taxpayer as well," said Zane.
JOB CREATION AND TOURISM: Job creation and tourism: Supporting joint ventures with local businesses and campaigns to boost job creation and tourism is a goal of the board.
Supervisor Mike McGuire said the county needs a plan to guide investment in the private sector and spur job growth in select local industries such as technology.
Ideally, that plan would spell out "what's the best way to spend our little amount of time and very limited amount of resources when it comes to funding," and how to find outside funding, McGuire said.
Rabbitt said the economic focus needs to be a routine part of board decisions.
"Yes, there are specific actions we can take within economic development," he said. "But economic development to me is also many of the decisions we make on a daily basis that affect the businesses here that are trying to succeed and grow and prosper."
Board Chairman Efren Carrillo and McGuire will head up a board study group on economic development.
IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE: Board members lamented the little money they have to spend on county infrastructure, including roads. Under a triage plan approved last year, supervisors decided the county will spend most of its limited money, about $4.5 million a year, on about 150 miles of the most traveled roadways. Only routine maintenance, including simple pothole fixes, will continue on the rest of the roughly 1,400-road network.
The proposed runway expansion at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport is set to come up for public discussion this summer. Most of that $25 million project is federally funded, McGuire said.
"Moving forward with those issues are going to be important this year and in the years to come," he said.
ALIGNING STAFF WITH GOALS: Brown, the lone two-term veteran on the board, said it will be critical to match the downsizing and reorganization of county government with the board's new priorities.
Other goals mentioned Tuesday included continued investment in energy efficiency and the county's water system, and partnering with cities and other local governments to share services and reduce costs.
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