Now, it’s your turn to weigh in on the budget

The Board of Supervisors on Wednesday will convene a meeting to hear public comments on the county’s proposed 2010-11 budget. Reflecting three straight years of pressure from the prolonged economic downtown, the $22.7 billion proposed budget released last month by CEO William T Fujioka aims to close a $510 million deficit by dipping into county reserves, reducing some services and cutting labor costs.

Among the speakers at Wednesday’s session are likely to be the heads of county departments as well as union representatives discussing how proposed job cutbacks will affect county workers. Fujioka’s budget proposes the elimination of 1,374 unfilled but budgeted positions. It also calls for 131 actual layoffs, though in announcing the budget Fujioka predicted the ultimate number would fall below 100. If Supervisors passed the budget as initially proposed, total county employment would fall from 101,113 to 99,736.

See our earlier story covering the highlights of the proposed budget.

The hearing will get underway at 9:30 a.m. at the Board Hearing Room in the county Hall of Administration.

Posted 5-06-10