Like citizens across the country, the County of Orange has spent the past few years responding to the national economic downturn by scaling back costs to balance with decreasing available funds.

The County has achieved this by targeting administrative costs first so as to minimize direct impacts to the residents that utilize our services. Particularly hard hit throughout this process has been our public safety departments, as their budgets are heavily reliant on sales tax revenue.

So far this year, the Board of Supervisors has taken steps to rectify a budget shortfall of $24 million in our Sheriff’s Department and $6 million in our District Attorney’s Office.

As we begin developing our Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Budget, the County is grappling with even larger shortfalls in those departments. Specifically, the County’s Strategic Financial Plan had projected a $65 million shortfall for our Sheriff’s Department and a $19.5 million shortfall for our District Attorney’s Office for next year.

The departments have been successful in reducing those numbers as they develop their budgets, however, they will still face substantial shortfalls that need to be addressed.

Since being elected to serve as your Supervisor, I have vowed to ensure that public safety remains the County’s top priority.

That is why I immediately brought the County’s top decision makers together to develop a strategy for addressing these shortfalls as soon as I was informed of the harrowing projections in late 2009.

The group, which has since been meeting on a regular basis, is comprised of the Sheriff, District Attorney, County CEO, and two Board Supervisors including myself. The group was successful earlier this year in developing a solution to shore up the current shortfalls.

The recommendations, which were unanimously adopted by the full Board, included a combination of reductions in conjunction with increased allocations from other County funds.

With the prospect of even larger deficits next year, more dramatic cuts will surely be necessary.

While contracts with cities are subject to negotiation, law enforcement services provided directly by the County to unincorporated areas like Ladera Ranch are at risk of reduction. Rest assured, however, the Board’s commitment to preserving front-line public safety services remains.

As the working group continues to meet to address these ongoing budget challenges, I will continue to advocate for solutions that protect the unincorporated communities in my district.

I support strategies that minimize direct impacts such as utilizing correctional assistant positions as opposed to sworn deputies in our jails; shifting resources from other non-public safety departments; and continuing to seek cost recovery through pension reform.

Our Sheriff’s Department has recently undergone an administrative reorganization, resulting in a few changes for Ladera Ranch. Currently in charge of South County Operations is Captain Don Barnes and heading up operations in Ladera Ranch and neighboring unincorporated areas is Lieutenant Charles Wilmot. Both men are highly capable and I am confident in their ability to serve Ladera Ranch well.

As always, should you need non-emergency law enforcement assistance, please contact the Sheriff’s Department South County Operations Division at  (949) 425-1800  (949) 425-1800 (949) 425-1800 . Never hesitate to contact my office at  (714) 834-3550  (714) 834-3550 (714) 834-3550 (email: Pat.Bates@ocgov.com) with any questions or comments. It is an honor serving you.