SMUSD budget faces deficit in 2023

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San Marcos Unified faces budget deficit in ’23

By Tigist Layne

SAN MARCOS — The San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD) held a governing board meeting on Tuesday, June 15 and held a public hearing on its 2021/22 budget, which shows that the district continues to face a growing budget deficit.

The budget shows that the district is not facing a deficit in the current year or in 2022/23, but will face deficit spending in 2023/24.

SMUSD’s total expenditures saw an $8.5 million increase from last year, which resulted in a deficit of almost $8 million.

The district will be meeting its 3% reserve requirement in 2023/2024, but will have very little funding remaining, according to the report.

SMUSD, which serves about 21,000 students in North County, also saw a decrease in enrollment of about 1,100 students during the COVID-19 pandemic, but according to Michael Taylor, assistant superintendent of business services, the district expects all of these students to return by 2022/23.

Through other financing sources, the district narrowly avoided anticipated deficits for the current school year, but has showed a steady downward slide since before the pandemic began.

In fact, the district has been projecting a budget deficit since the 2017-2018 adopted budget.

Declining enrollment, increased cost of special education and the increased contributions to pensions are all factors that school officials point to as reasons for deficits like these, along with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike other North County school districts including Oceanside and Escondido Union, however, San Marcos saw a steady increase in enrollment before COVID-19.

After the start of the COVID-19 crisis, school districts across North County, including SMUSD, have seen a decrease in enrollment and are all feeling the financial impact.

According to state law, if a district remains in a deficit for too long, it may lose the authority to govern itself.

To avoid this, SMUSD has had to make steep cuts and, in recent years, the district has even had to dip into its reserves.

The district also recently received $36 million in ESSER and ESSER III federal COVID relief funds, which is intended to assist schools in fully reopening for in-person learning.

The board will give final approval of the 2021/22 budget at its June 29 board meeting.

COYOTES SIGHTING IN ESCONDIDO CREEK WATERSHED

Escondido Creek Conservancy volunteer Ron Wilson came face to face with this coyote (Canis latrans) at the 693-acre Mountain Meadow Preserve in the watershed region which will never be developed and is now protected in perpetuity for the benefit of the native plants and animals of California. Coyotes, which are native to North America, generally shy away from interactions with humans, but as humans and wild lands overlap, they are often spotted near trails, ponds or creek tributaries

in the watershed. Photo by Ron Wilson

CORRALES

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minor.

Corrales is a former member of the San Diego County Democratic Party but was censured by the party in Aug 2020 after allegations were made against him of pedophilic behavior, according to a statement by the Escondido Young Democrats.

During their investigation, the county Dems’ Ethics Committee evaluated seven complaints, interviewed seven witnesses and reviewed 33 pages of documentation including recordings, transcripts, social media posts and messages before deciding to remove Corrales.

Eva Posner, a spokesperson for the San Diego County Democratic Party sent a statement to The Coast News via email:

“Matthew Corrales is no longer a member of the San Diego County Democratic Party. He was censured last year by our members for the harassment and intimidation of a number of women and Jewish members of our Party.

“He was also roundly defeated at the ballot box and rejected in his bid to serve on our state central committee.

“Our members have made our condemnation of his despicable behavior clear and he is no longer welcome in Democratic spaces. We are sure the allegations will be vetted by law enforcement and receive their day in court, and that he will be brought to justice for his pattern of dangerous, wholly unacceptable behavior.”

The county Democratic Party removed Corrales from consideration of endorsement as a candidate, removed his name from the list of Democratic candidates on its website and issued a rating of unqualified.

They also required him to issue an apology to the seven complainants.

Despite San Diego County Democratic Party’s decision, Corrales remained a member of the Escondido Democratic Club until June 15, the same day this video was released.

The Escondido Democratic Club did not remove Corrales despite multiple members voicing their concerns about Corrales’ behavior.

In Jan 2021, a member of the Escondido Young Democrats (EYD), brought the issue of Corrales’ harassment toward themself and others to the Escondido Democratic Club (EDC) executive board, but the party still refused to remove Corrales.

After the release of the CC Unit footage, the Escondido Young Democrats released a statement calling for the Escondido Democratic Club executive board to resign:

“(Escondido Young Democrats) has known for months about Corrales’ propensity for harassment and incivility towards those he disagrees with. We condemn his harassment, as well as his alleged actions in the CC Unit Video.

“Some members of the (Escondido Democratic Club) Executive Board failed to act to terminate Corrales’ membership thereby exposing their members to months of vitriolic attacks. This is in stark contrast to the leadership of the (San Diego County Democratic Party) and other Democratic organizations where decisive action was taken to separate Corrales from their membership.

“Therefore, we strongly urge the (Escondido Democratic Club) Executive Board Members who refused to take action to resign effective immediately.”

Corrales ran for the Vallecitos Water District in Nov. 2020 but was defeated, after which he was no longer a registered Democrat and voted for Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, according to the Escondido Young Democrats’ statement.

However, it remains unclear how the group came to know Corrales’ private voting record.

Despite this, Corrales remained a member of the Escondido Democratic Club until last week.

“They haven’t been taking steps to address our frustration in a way that’s meaningful or authentic,” said Justin Domecillo, a senator at Escondido Young Democrats. “That has been personally frustrating for me because I personally think that their inaction enables, and I wish that they would follow EYD’s example of publicly condemning this person.”

An Escondido Democratic Club representative said they do not wish to comment on the matter, but said that Corrales is no longer a member.

A spokesperson at Sweetwater Union High School District confirmed that Corrales was a substitute teacher but “separated from the district in 2009” and “is no longer affiliated with the district.”

Sweetwater Union High School District declined to comment further for this story.

Corrales could not be reached for comment and has deactivated all of his social media accounts.

Escondido to get more than $38M in new relief

By Tigist Layne

ESCONDIDO – The Escondido City Council met on Wednesday, June 9, to hear an update on its Business Recovery Strategy and discuss the American Rescue Plan Act funding that the city will soon receive. The council also gave final approval to the 2021-22 operating budget and capital improvement budget.

The $117.6 million budget has increased by roughly $9.5 million compared with the 2020-21 budget, and includes a $2.7 million increase in the city’s police budget and a $2.1 million increase in the city’s public works department.

The budget calls for reinstating six positions in the police department, five officers and a dispatcher in the COPPS (Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving) unit.

It also includes roughly $540,000 to increase traffic safety.

The budget also shows that the city faced a budget deficit of $8 million in FY 2021/22, recovered by the use of one-time funds, a $13 million deficit by FY 2023/24 and further deficits continuing over the next 15 years, according to the report.

The structural budget gap is expected to exceed $176 million over the next 18 years.

According to the staff report, Escondido has been allocated $38,808,509 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. It is still unclear what exactly the city will be able to use these funds for, but more information will become available on July 16.

“Until revenue is increased on an on-going and structural basis, such as through an increased sales tax measure, the city must continue to rely on shortterm, one-time resources to continue operations and avoid drastic cuts to city services,” the staff report read.

The council also heard a report on the city’s Business Recovery Strategy, which was initially adopted in May 2020. The plan implemented temporary regulatory and non-regulatory measures such as permit extensions, off-site sale and delivery of alcohol and temporary signage relief to assist local businesses that had to alter their operations due to COVID-19 regulations.

City staff will return to the council at a future date to decide if and when these measures will be scaled back as the COVID-19 emergency comes to an end.

By City News Service

REGION — Despite continued hot and dry conditions in California, the San Diego region is protected from drought impacts this summer and through 2045, the San Diego County Water Authority announced today.

According to a statement released by the Water Authority, “no shortages or regional water-use mandates are in the forecast, the result of three decades of strategic investments that create an aquatic safety net for San Diego County's $253 billion economy and quality of life for 3.3 million residents.”

Gary Croucher, Water Authority Board chairman, thanked San Diegans for their efforts to “make sure that we have enough water to meet the region’s needs now and for decades into the future.”

“You have invested through your water bills and your water-smart practices, and those efforts are paying off in tangible ways,” Croucher said. “The key this summer is to stay water-smart.”

Croucher is asking residents to continue water-use efficiency practices, including turning off the faucet while brushing teeth, fixing irrigation system leaks and using hoses with automatic shut-off nozzles.

County ratepayers have conserved more than 1 million acre-feet of water over the past three decades, and per-capita water use across the region has decreased nearly 50% since the early 1990s, according to the Water Authority.

Nearly 30 years ago, drought impacted the county for 13 straight months, with 31% supply cutbacks from the Water Authority’s wholesale provider, the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District.

Since that time, San Diego County's water supply has been diversified, with a locally controlled supply from the Carlsbad desalination plant, and a conservation-and-transfer agreement that provides water from the Colorado River.

According to the Water Authority, those two resources offer protection against droughts and other emergencies by ensuring sufficient water supplies through 2045, even during successive dry years.

Another strategy includes local projects such as the city of San Diego’s Pure Water San Diego, which is projected to start producing 30 million gallons per day of drinking water in the next few years.

According to the city, Pure Water by 2035 will provide nearly half of the city’s supply using technology to clean recycled water and produce safe, high-quality drinking water.

“Pure Water is an investment that will create a more sustainable future for all of us,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “Our changing climate is challenging us to develop new, creative solutions.”

Agriculture, business and science leaders also thanked residents for their conservation efforts, another sign of three decades of progress.

“There’s no way around it: Our region’s economy runs on water — brewing, tourism, biotech, defense, farming and so many other key pieces of our economic engine require safe, reliable water supplies to function,” said Jerry Sanders, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Sanders added that he and others look to the Water Authority and its two dozen member agencies to provide resources that keep the county strong, “not just for today, but for the longhaul.”

County farmers “have done their part by investing heavily in water efficiency so that they can produce an amazing cornucopia of products,” said Hannah Gbeh, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau. “Our members make the most of every drop through high-efficiency irrigation systems and other strategies.”

Joe Panetta, president and CEO of Biocom California, said that water supply reliability and diversification “has given the life science industry a firm foundation and the confidence to grow and thrive.”

“Biocom California was founded on the issue of access to water — our members depend on reliable, constant access for sensitive research and manufacturing processes,” Panetta added.

Margaret Leinen, vice chancellor for marine sciences at UC San Diego, said efforts by the Water Authority and city of San Diego “continue to produce practical, real-world benefits for water managers statewide.”

“With continued research we can utilize the latest science to develop strategies for mitigating flood risk and increasing water resilience through improved reservoir management,” said Leinen, who is also director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “This will aim to decrease the impact of dry years by improving forecasts that lead to capturing more water produced by atmospheric rivers.”

PLASTICS

CONTINUED FROM 1 business development, and where there is litter, results in lower property values, people are more likely to litter (source Keep America Beautiful), as well as Caltrans cleanup costs along on-off ramps and easements.”

Additionally, the Vista Chamber of Commerce has shown interest in engaging with the city for a public awareness campaign, the report said.

The chamber would target the business community to help assist with the city’s new ordinance.

According to the staff report, Vista anticipates a significant amount of outreach and education to both residents and businesses will be required prior to implementing the Styrofoam ban with prepared food.

As such, Vista and the chamber appear they will engage with businesses in a yearlong, widespread outreach campaign.

“Staff will collaborate with the chamber, city communications office, and other partners to develop a campaign to educate the community regarding the addition of the ordinance to the Vista Municipal Code,” McCollough said.

As for penalties, violators can face a range of punishment including citations, infractions or misdemeanor charges.

They can be fined, with each subsequent fine increasing or possible jail time for a misdemeanor conviction.

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In loving memory of Amber Rene Wimmer

March 27, 1983 - June 5, 2021

Amber passed away on June 5, 2021. Amber was born March 27, 1983, in Escondido California.

She graduated from Santana High School in 2001.

Amber is survived by her three children Kai Zavala, Brandon Patina Jr and Ezabella Patina. Parents: Sherry Hoffman (Tom) and Randy Wimmer.

Half-sisters: Zoe and Kaliea Wimmer. Grandmother Vicki Roland.

Aunts & Uncles: Robert Easton (Mylinda), Becky Roland, Lori Pourhosseini (Ali), Daniel Roland, Andrew Meadows (Teri) and Crystal Muncy.

Cousins David Knight (Jaime), Andrea KnightJimenez (Edward), Shawn Pourhosseini (Danielle), Keysha Pourhosseini (Hassan Ahmed), Kassie Roland, Kevin and Vanessa Easton, Sequoia and Sage Meadows, Ryan, Trevor, Austin and Colin Muncy.

There will be a hole in our hearts, she will be missed, always be loved and remembered.

Her celebration of life will be held later this summer, in a private ceremony in Mariposa CA.

In loving memory of Jane Cecilia Boler

November 14, 1934 -

June 5, 2021

Jane Boler passed away June 5th at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, Ca. She was born November 14, 1934 in St Paul, MN.

A mass will be held June 25th at Church of Nativity, Rancho Santa Fe at 10 am.

She graduated from Derham Hall and went on to Barat College of the Sacred Heart and Michigan State University where she received her bachelor’s degree in 1956 studying communications and drama.

She is survived by her 5 children: Elizabeth (Jerry) Ness, William (Shari Goldin) Johnson, Marc Johnson, Jeff Johnson and Alexandria (Jeffrey) Wetzel. Grandchildren: Samantha Ness, Jon Ness, Connor Johnson and Emma Wetzel.

Jane moved from St. Paul to Fargo ND in 1969 where she opened an employment Agency. Later she started as a swim instructor at the YWCA and became Executive Director there.

She became a media consultant and also worked with her father, John W. Boler at his real estate company, Community Development, as a property supervisor and assisted him with all his property and sales.

There she developed/ built Village West Shopping Center, Oak Park Plaza, Factory Outlet Mall and Village Square Office Warehouse to name a few.

While she continued in real estate, she developed KVRR, the first FOX affiliate in ND, Channel 15, where she served as General Manager. she then went on to develop and manage the first low power station in the US in Bemidji, MN.

When she tired of ND winters, she moved to San Diego to be close to her son and daughter.

She worked as the Western Division Training Manager and Designer for 1-800-FLOWERS. Even though she finally retired, she never stopped.

She did volunteer work at Church of the Nativity, Rancho Santa Fe and served as Docent and Education Leader at the San Diego Botanic Garden.

A Celebration of Life will be held June 28th from 11-1:30 pm at the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, 5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, CA, 92008.

A mass and burial will be held at St Mary of the Lakes church in Detroit Lakes on August 11th at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers please give to a charity of your choice.

Robert Ronald Vercauteren, 72 Carlsbad June 10, 2021 John Xenophon Nellos, 82 San Marcos June 11, 2021 Javier Hernandez Morales, 48 Vista June 14, 2021

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