$55 million for the county.  $11 million at City Hall.  And as Sacramento State public policy professor Rob Wassmer says:
 
Wassmer: “Both the city and the county are looking to do short-term fixes, which perhaps may be long-term problems.” 
 
City and county officials acknowledge that fact.  They say they’re buying time to find longer-term solutions for the next fiscal year, which starts in July.
 
Both governments are making some cuts – the county’s slashing funding for mental health and community clinics, and the city is laying off two dozen people in the department that handles building permits.
 
But both are also transferring funds from other accounts into their general funds.  Wassmer says using those short-term fixes could make a bad problem even worse.
 
Wassmer: “We’re postponing some difficult cuts.  But they may even become more difficult if this recession and this downturn continues into next year.” 
 
The City Council and Board of Supervisors will vote on the cuts Tuesday at their respective meetings.