HalfwayToConcord.com Reports that Concord, CA is Set to Gut Social Service Spending
Once Concord can establish without challenge that its "me first" values of no cuts and full employment without addressing skyrocketing labor costs is more important than investing in a diverse array of community-based agencies delivering a variety of services, then it will be an easy matter for it to justify appropriating every dollar it can get.
Concord, CA (PRWEB) April 30, 2004 -- www.halfwaytoconcord.com, a blog serving Contra Costa County
and California, reports that the City of Concord, CA is set to slash funding for
social service agencies that assist the poor, elderly, and underserved in its
community. Instead the money will go to pay for city budgets and
departments.
Media and allied social service colleagues are encouraged to
visit the web site for more information at
http://www.halfwaytoconcord.com
Synopsis
Concord
City government is ready to slash social service spending according to the
Budget Message released by Ed James, City Manager. (See Attachment #3, Item #2)
The City Manager indicates that because of high labor costs, including wages,
healthcare and retirement benefits, the City must trim the General Fund by $2.5
million dollars per year through FY 2007-2008 to avoid layoffs or service
reductions.
The Budget Task Force recommendations include reserving all
of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) capital funds exclusively for
City-sponsored projects instead of being directed to non-profit or other agency
use. For example, current FY 04/05 CDBG capital funds total $604,540. $360,000
has been allocated to City-sponsored programs (curb cuts, etc.) while $244,500
was directed to non-city, social service agencies. In the future, all of the
money will be used to staff City departments instead of a portion being directed
to competent social service agencies that deliver much needed services to
Concord's poor and underserved.
As the city plans to take all of the CDBG
capital funds typically directed to non-profit agencies, it also has indicated
it will reduce the amount of City General Fund monies it traditionally
contributes to social service agencies by $100,000 in FY 2005/2006.
Here
is the writing on the wall. Once the City can establish without challenge that
its stated values of no cuts and full employment without addressing skyrocketing
labor costs is more important than investing in a diverse array of
community-based agencies delivering a variety of services, then it will be an
easy matter for it to justify appropriating every dollar it can get. In this
very likely scenario, the entire FY 2005-2006 CDBG funding for social service
programs and the balance of General Fund monies totaling $358,800 could instead
be used to fund City department budgets and programs instead of being allocated
among our community-based organizations.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/4/prweb122615.htm