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WRCOG committee approves midyear budget amendment, shifts staffing and defers first-floor buildout
Summary
The executive committee approved a midyear fiscal amendment that trims about $2.9 million in revenues and $2.7 million in expenditures, adds a net two staff positions, and defers the first-floor buildout of WRCOG’s new office to prioritize completing the second floor and energy-efficiency work.
The Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) executive committee approved a midyear budget amendment that decreases agency revenues by roughly $2.9 million and reduces expenditures by about $2.7 million, while proposing a net increase of two staff positions and deferring a planned first-floor buildout at the agency’s new office.
Staff presenter Andrew explained the amendment covers changes across seven programs, with three programs showing the most sizable shifts: TUMF, iREN and administration. “The proposed amendment decreases revenues by a little over $2,900,000 and decreases expenditures by a little under $2,700,000,” Andrew said in his presentation, noting that one-time capital costs to the new building affect the headline revenue-expenditure comparison.
The amendment would eliminate one position and add three, producing a net addition of two positions. Andrew described plans to fill three previously budgeted analyst roles for the iREN program and to add a program manager to support the program’s public‑sector portfolio, arguing the hires would increase staffing capacity and improve the ability to spend allocated funds.
On capital spending, staff recommended deferring the first-floor tenant buildout and concentrating on targeted energy-efficiency upgrades while completing the second floor that WRCOG will occupy. Andrew said delaying the first-floor buildout would allow staff to secure a tenant, begin collecting rent and then revisit the unfinished space later, and recommended reducing the current fiscal-year capital allocation by $500,000.
Administrative changes were also part of the amendment. Andrew detailed a proposed reorganization that would eliminate the administrative services director position and replace it with a human-resources manager and a contracts analyst, estimating the all‑in cost for existing director pay as about $290,000 while estimating the program manager at roughly $210,000 and the contracts analyst at about $130,000 — a net personnel cost increase of roughly $50,000 that staff said the agency can support.
Committee members asked for clarifications about how the new program manager would be supervised and how the analysts would be deployed. Agency staff said the three analysts would ideally be distributed across iREN’s sectors — one each for public sector, workforce and codes and standards — and that assignments could shift based on applicants’ skills.
A member questioned higher legal and consulting costs; staff said the agency had incurred unexpected legal and consulting expenses this fiscal year and stated one matter was “related to a personal matter,” without additional detail.
The committee moved and seconded the item. The clerk conducted roll call and announced the motion passed unanimously.
