California Counties React to Revised State Budget.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California's 58 counties are reviewing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget revisions, just released today. With the state buoyed by increased state revenues, the governor is sharing some of the benefits with local governments.

"Governor Schwarzenegger has shown us time and again that he knows that counties are on the front lines of providing many critical services to Californians," said CSAC President Connie Conway, a Tulare County supervisor. "We appreciate his recognition of the value of our services."

Budget revisions helping counties and our residents include:

--Full funding for Proposition 42 in 2006 - 2007, partial repayment of past Proposition 42 local transportation fund loans and $255 million for local streets and roads, many of which have been damaged by recent severe storms.

--A $100 million partial reimbursement for county flood-control subvention programs, as well as additional funding for staff to streamline the county claim process.

--More than $100 million for public safety programs, such as those for front-line services, mentally ill offenders, juvenile crime prevention and intervention, local correctional officer training and methamphetamine abatement.

--Early payment on the second year of a 15-year obligation to reimburse local agencies for deferred mandates totaling $170 million.

Counties will continue to work with the Governor and the Legislature to ensure adequate funding for health and human services programs, especially funding for services for children and youth in the foster care system. There remains some concern by counties that the May Revision does not include sufficient new funding to address needs of the child welfare system, now under consideration by the Legislature, nor does it adequately fund the CalWORKs program. Counties will work to see those gaps closed.

Still, many of today's revisions -- and last week's historic infrastructure agreement -- will help counties and their residents move forward, according to Conway.

"The Governor and Legislature have pledged to work with us to come up with real solutions for our families and businesses," she said. "Their cooperation and hard work in 2006 will pay off for years to come."

CSAC is a nonprofit corporation that promotes the interests of California's 58 counties at the state and federal level. One of the association's primary goals is to educate the public about the value and necessity for county programs and services. Founded in 1895, CSAC is based in Sacramento.