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‘Stable’ fiscal outlook for Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors begins week of workshops to discuss $1.4 billion budget By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The fiscal outlook for Santa Barbara County is “stable.” That was the message given as the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors began its series of budget workshops Monday. This week the board is holding three budget workshops, which will allow departments to present special issues, allow for public input and provide a summary on departments’ requests,
updates and projects. Final budget decisions are expected to be made in mid-June. On Monday, the board considered departmental budgets for the Health and Human Services as well as General Government & Support Services departments in addition to a budget overview. The county budget for fiscal year 20222023 is estimated to be $1.4 billion. This will be the fourth consecutive year no county departments will need to propose a service level reduction.
According to Monday’s presentation, property, sales and transient occupancy taxes are remaining stable, federal and state pandemic resources are continuing, and money from the American Rescue Plan Act and other one-time funds are helping with infrastructure needs. Total operating revenues have increased 3.6% from the prior fiscal year, and transient occupancy tax revenues grew by 23% for the upcoming fiscal year, according to the presentation. General fund operating revenues increased 1.7%, and sales tax revenues grew 13.6%, the
presentation to the board revealed. Some departments have requested expansions that would total 52.5 FTEs (full-time equivalents) in staffing. The requests total $12.7 million in ongoing funds and $7 million in one-time funding, according to the presentation. The Sheriff’s Office recommended an additional seven FTEs for its co-response expansion, which would cost about $1.3 million in ongoing expenses and five FTEs for its narcotics team for nearly $1.04 million in ongoing expenses. The department also requested an
‘Everything Rises’ premieres Violinist Jennifer Koh, vocalist Davóne Tines to perform new work tonight at UCSB By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Grammy-winning violinist Jennifer Koh and bass-baritone vocalist Davóne Tines are discussing their experiences as minorities in the music world through a musical collaboration that brings history to life. It’s called “Everything Rises.” And its world premiere is at 8 tonight at UCSB Campbell Hall. UCSB Arts & Lectures and the ARCO Collaborative commissioned the work, and a Q&A with the musicians will follow their performance. “ ‘Everything Rises’ is an intensely personal sharing and investigation of the lived experiences of minorities within the classical musical space as contextualized by ancestral histories,” Mr. Tines told the News-Press Monday. “We’re the only two people on stage,” Mr. Tines said. “There’s also electronics from (composer) Ken Ueno and direct recordings of Jenny’s mother and my grandmother. We go in and out of live performances with a documentary-style voiceover.” Ms. Koh’s mother, Gertrude Soonja Lee Koh, discusses her experiences during the Korean War and immigrating to the U.S., and Mr. Tines’ grandmother, Alma Lee Gibbs Tines, talks about discrimination against blacks. “There’s a big mix of media,” Mr. Tines, a black American, said about the show, which features projections and was produced by a team of black and indigenous artists and people of color. Ms. Koh, a Korean-American who grew up in Chicago, recently won a Grammy for best classical instrumental solo for “Alone Together,” She and Mr. Tines collaborated on “Everything Rises” with composer Ken Ueno and
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UCSB Arts & Lectures and the ARCO Collaborative commissioned the work, and a Q&A with the musicians will follow their performance.
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
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Above, Davóne Tines rehearses “Everything Rises” at UCSB Campbell Hall, where the world premiere of the work will take place tonight. At left, Jennifer Koh, seen rehearsing “Everything Rises,” recently won a Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for “Alone Together.”
(The Center Square) – A significant majority of Americans disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of a range of key issues, new polling indicates. The new CBS News/YouGov poll showed Mr. Biden has an over 60% disapproval rating on several leading issues: crime, immigration, the economy, and inflation. Overall, only 7% of those surveyed said they think things in America are going “very well.” According to the poll, President Biden has a 61% disapproval rating on crime, a 62% disapproval rating on immigration, a 63% disapproval rating on the economy and a 69% disapproval rating on the economy. Mr. Biden has suffered setbacks on all these issues in recent months. Inflation continues to rise at the fastest rate in nearly four decades, according to the latest data. That inflation, along with a significant rise in gas prices, drives up consumer costs for Americans. Republicans have hammered President Biden on these issues, vowing to make big gains in the midterm elections. “From rising prices to rising crime, the American people think Democrats are doing a terrible job on every key issue,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Berg said. The poll found that 92% of Americans report feeling the
President Joe Biden
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The new CBS News/ YouGov poll showed Mr. Biden has an over 60% disapproval rating on several leading issues: crime, immigration, the economy, and inflation. impact of rising prices, with 66% calling it “difficult or a hardship.” The Biden administration also is taking fire for its recent decision to reverse Title 42, a Trump-era immigration policy that allowed border agents to deport illegal immigrants to prevent the spread of COVID-19 into the U.S. Critics blasted the decision, saying it will lead to a surge in illegal immigration. House Republicans launched an inquiry into the decision and what impact it will have, and the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the move will increase the already high levels of illegal immigration. “As a result of the CDC’s termination of its Title 42 public health order, we will likely face an increase in encounters above the current high levels,” CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said. “There are a significant number of individuals who were unable to access the asylum system for the past two years, and who may decide that now is the time to come.” The CBS poll comes after a separate Rasmussen Reports poll found that 81% of Americans expect crime to be a major issue in the midterms. “Most U.S voters say America’s violent crime problem is getting worse, and overwhelmingly expect the issue to be important in the congressional midterm elections this fall,” the groups said. “The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 61% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the problem of violent crime in America is getting worse. Only 11% think the crime problem is getting better, while 26% think the problem is staying about the same.”
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Voters disapprove of Biden’s work on several key issues, poll shows By CASEY HARPER
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additional five FTEs for the cannabis compliance team, totaling nearly $1.04 million in ongoing expenses, and six sheriff service technicians for the Northern Branch Jail for about $647,000. It requested one FTE (totaling about $288,000) for a human trafficking detective. The Public Defender’s Office requested $461,000 in one-time funding for three deputy public defenders to assist with a backlog. The District Attorney’s Office Please see BUDGET on A2
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Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-7-12-33-37 Mega: 11
Monday’s DAILY 4: 4-7-9-4
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 8-11-29-32-40 Mega: 2
Monday’s FANTASY 5: 10-22-25-28-30
Monday’s DAILY DERBY: 07-03-02 Time: 1:43.13
Monday’s POWERBALL: 5-7-24-31-34 Meganumber: 4
Monday’s DAILY 3: 1-0-6 / Midday 7-1-3