Santa Barbara County’s Solution to the State Budget Crisis: Furloughs and Lay-Offs

Santa Barbara county workers rallied in front of the courthouse to draw attention to the state’s budget crisis and the burden it has put on county residents. Although the state budget is far from being final, Santa Barbara county officials have asked workers to:
• Accept 76 lay-offs or
• 80 hour furloughs and delay all future raises for over a year for all employees
The county is projecting of a $3-5 million budget deficit for social services.


Critical programs to be eliminated
For 10 years the Truancy Intervention and Parent Accountability Program has successfully bridged the gap between parents and school officials. Now the county is placing the program on the chopping block, approving funding for only a few more months.

Local Children Will Lose
Truancy social workers provide parents with useful techniques to support their child’s education:
• How to ask for help
• Parenting classes
• Participate in school meetings and events.

Truancy social workers also work with students to ensure success:
• Students are encouraged to make better choices to avoid probation or prosecution.
• Guidance toward completing their education in spite of challenges and obstacles.
Hundreds of students have gone through the program and even gone on to college. County officials are hoping that the school district can pick up the costs of this program.

Seniors and the Disabled Will be at Risk
If workers are laid-off or made to take two week leave the length of time for county residents to receive vital services such as Medi-cal or food stamps will be delayed. Seniors and people with disabilities living in their homes could be put in difficult situations if they can’t contact their In Home Social Services social worker and they have an emergency.

Many county social workers already have the maximum caseloads recommended by the state. There are federal and state guidelines that require eligibility workers to see clients within a certain time period. The county could be fined if applications are delayed and clients could risk losing benefits.
• Fines will not save the county money
• Canceling the truancy program will not save money if that means more kids drop out of school and possibly join gangs and commit crimes
• Less probation assistants following up with parolees does not serve the public’s needs

SEIU members have lobbied Board of Supervisors and sent letters to state legislators, too. We will continue to let county officials know that reducing the number of workers or their hours just doesn’t make sense nor does it make sense for SB County to reduce budgets when the state budget is still not final.