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The Orange County Register reported this morning that the Board of Supervisors met yesterday and, among other things, took up the recommendations of the CEO on how to close an almost $50 million budget gap.
Recommended and finally approved by the Supervisors were a combination of budget cuts – primarily to departments and programs that serve the poor and the Sheriff’s jail operation – and the age-old gimmick of increasing revenue estimates. The article describes cuts also made to the office of the District Attorney, but says that the DA can cover most of those cuts with money from a reserve fund that he has. Must be nice to have a departmental reserve to fall back on.
Since the Supervisors bragged just a few months ago about increasing the County Reserve fund as part of the 11-12 fiscal year county budget, this before the State cut almost $50 million in the State budget that the county was relying upon receiving, the Supervisors also tapped this reserve fund to help fill the budget hole. Easy come, easy go.
Besides that news in The Register today, there was a report that County employee and Santa Ana City Councilman Carolos Bustamante, who was under investigation for alleged sexual abuse activities at his county workplace, has resigned. The irony of this story being on the same page as numerous obituaries is noteworthy.
And, breaking news – the Association of Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS) just issued a press release announcing that it has settled with the County regarding legal fees the Association incurred in defending against the Board of Supervisors lawsuit that sought a court ruling that the enhanced retirement benefit of 3% at 50 granted to the Deputy Sheriffs by the Supervisors about 10 years ago was illegal and should be voided. As many predicted, the County lost that suit, appealed it to a higher Court and lost there, then sought a review by the State Supreme Court but that Court declined. Predictably, the winner – the union that is AOCDS. If there is a single loser it is John Moorlach, the County Supervisor who was the vocal advocate for filing and pursuing the suit. The settlement? According to the AOCDS press release the County is to pay $1.3 million to cover the AOCDS legal costs. Of course, that $1.3 million could have saved some services when the Supervisors slashed the budget on October 4, but alas – the futile lawsuit experiment has to be funded instead.
A tough day (or two) at the County of Orange. And, as I write this, day two is only half over!
Moorlach was a fool to file this lawsuit as 3 different Atty firms in Calif told him it was a loser. So he hires a out of State lawfirm that didn’t care if the County won or lost. So 3 million dollars later this Law firm is laughing all the way to the back after ripping off the Taxpayers for losing 3 times in the Court system. Way to go Moorlach.
In the afternoon of Day 2 (October 5)The Register post on the settlement with the Deputies Union (County agrees to pay deputies’ union $1.3 million in pension lawsuit costs) also said “The county also agreed to reimburse the Orange County Employees Retirement (OCERS)System $312,000 for its portion of the legal fight”.
Originally, when the Supervisors decided to go to court to try and overturn the 3% at 50 pension deal they needed someone to sue, as they could not sue the people that made that decision as it was themselves. So, they sued the retirement system for having the gall to follow the Board’s direction to pay per the 3% at 50 plan approved and ordered by the Supervisors.
Eventually the AOCDS joined the suit, having the greatest interest in the outcome. So, both AOCDS and OCERS were victorious in the court battles, and both are now reimbursed their legal fees by County taxpayer dollars to the tune of $1,612,000. While this sum would not have eliminated the budget cuts the Board made on October 4, I will bet any one of the County department heads impacted by those cuts would love to have that $ 1.6 mil. added to their budget thereby reducing or eliminating their cut.
There are those who have in the past however posted on this blog that the legal fee expense incurred by the county on this lawsuit was worth it. It is up to you, the readers, to form your own conclusion about that.
*Nice deal. Which ones got the big screen TV’s?