Sac County Cuts Health Care Services -- Again
For the third time this year, Sacramento County supervisors have approved sharp cuts to health care services – this time, $6 million to mental health and community clinics.
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(Sacramento, CA)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
They also approved layoffs to a dozen employees and a complex borrowing plan to buy time for future cuts.
But Supervisor Roger Dickinson says the alternative to the borrowing would be much worse.
Dickinson: “The consequences of doing that would be so severe and so draconian that it – in my mind – far outweighs the consequences of borrowing that money and having to repay it later.”
So now, the county will transfer $17 million from funds that are normally off-limits to prevent even steeper reductions. The cash will have to be paid back within five years.
These probably won’t be the last mid-year reductions. Next month, county administrators will likely ask supervisors to approve more cuts to health care – and also the sheriff, district attorney and probation departments – with up to another $20 million of borrowing.