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C~I:fNT'Y, ~~ BUTI`'~E, STATf~ ~?~`. CALIF`~RNfi~-
Resolution No. o5-oz i
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF AN APPLICATION
FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE MANDATE RELIEF PURSUANT
TO WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE SECTION 17000.6
WHEREAS, the State Legislature enacted Welfare and Institutions Code Section 17000.6
allowing counties to apply to the Commission on State Mandates to seek relief from the mandated
minimum general assistance grant level of Section 17000.5; and
WHEREAS, Section 17000.6 requires that such relief from the general assistance mandate
be based on a showing by the county that maintaining the grant level of Section 17000.5 would result
in significant financial distress to the county; and
WHEREAS, significant financial distress is defined as the inability to maintain basic county
services (ones considered fundamental or essential) adequately or effectively; and
WHEREAS, Butte County has suffered unmet service needs totaling $47.5 million plus $9.0
million of additional projected unmet needs for a total of $56.5 million. These unmet needs have
caused most of the County's basic services, including public safety and those services to our
vulnerable populations of infants, children and adults unable to care adequately for themselves, to
fall well below adequate or effective levels of maintenance; and
WHEREAS, the circumstances causing financial distress and declining basic services levels
are largely beyond the power of the County to control, such as State property tax shifts that have
greatly reduced local discretionary revenue to counties over the past several years, as well as:
unstable revenue sources; minimal ability to raise revenue locally; minimal control over State
mandated programs; growing numbers of clients caught in the poverty and crime cycles; minimal
ability to change organizational structure in service delivery systems in cost-effective ways; and
WHEREAS, in response to budget shortfalls and constraints over the past several years, the
County and this Board have implemented major efficiency measures aimed at enhancing revenues
and controlling expenditures, including continued aggressive legislative strategies, utilization of
multi-year financial planning for key decisions, utilization of a strategic planning process,
reorganization and consolidation of service delivery systems, and many other efforts that are more
fully described within the County's application; and
WHEREAS, while the above efforts have helped greatly, they have not been able to keep the
available funds for the County's basic services from declining below adequate or effective levels.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of
Butte as follows:
1. This Board does hereby declare that compliance with the general assistance standard
of aid mandated by Welfare and Institutions Code Section 17000.5 will result in significant financial
distress to the County.
2. This Board does hereby authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to execute on
behalf of this Board an application for relief from such mandate pursuant to Welfare and Institutions
Code Section 17000.6 and directs that such application be filed with the Commission on State
Mandates.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Butte this 8th day
of February, 2005, by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Connelly, Dolan, Houx, Josiassen and Chair Yamaguchi
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
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KIM K.YAMAGUCHI, Chair
Butte County Board of Supervisors
ATTEST:
PAUL MCINTOSH, Chief Administrative Officer
And Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
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By: - ~. _
Deputy