Title
CCP staff recommending the Executive Committee review and approve a Fiscal Year 2014/15 Budget and Implementation Plan for AB 109 funds as a 'Maintenance of Service' budget, incorporating overhead rates and any additional funded items as determined at this meeting, for submission to the Board of Supervisors for acceptance.
Body
Background
At the time of this writing, an allocation formula for determining distribution of funds from the State Community Corrections Subaccount has not yet been determined. To move the budget planning process forward, staff has projected the amount of funding available during Fiscal Year 2014/15 based upon the County's distribution percentages from the last two fiscal years. This amounts to El Dorado County receiving a FY 2014/2015 allocation in the amount of $3,689,695. Additionally, State provided "Growth Funds" are projected to increase the total available FY 2013/2014 amount by $165,251 for a total projected amount of $3,854,946. As discussed in a report prepared by the CCP Fiscal and Programming Ad Hoc Committee, because of this drop in revenue and increases in salary and benefit costs, use of fund balance from past years will be required to maintain service levels as developed over the course of these implementation plans.
Reason for Recommendation
CCP Staff is recommending adoption of an AB 109 budget and related Implementation Plan that maintains service levels from those established in Fiscal Year 2013-14 for a number of reasons. First, the Community Corrections Center (CCC), a major initiative of the CCP, opened for service in early May. Getting to this point with the CCC is the result of years of monetary and staff resources. It will take at least a year to determine the effectiveness of the services at the CCC. Therefore, maintaining service levels will allow full ramp up of the CCC over the next year and the time to determine if the facility is delivering on the goals of reducing recidivism and providing better transitional services for AB 109 inmates. Second, it is anticipated that the CCP will undertake a strategic planning effort over the next six month to year. Maintaining current services allows for this process to take place, which can then guide future programming and budgetary changes. Finally, the CCP is in the fortunate position to draw from fund balances to offset a drop in State revenues and increased salary and benefits costs. Doing so to maintain service levels while the CCC and strategic planning effort get underway is a prudent investment in laying the groundwork for making evidence based decisions on future budget allocations.