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Board approves 1.5 new assistant‑chief positions for Probation amid five‑year budget projection
Summary
The board approved adding 1.5 full‑time equivalent assistant chief probation officer positions after Chief Probation Officer Stephen Sabetich described operational needs and county finance staff presented a five‑year projection showing near‑term coverage but projected AB 109 drawdowns in later years; supervisors approved the staffing with discussion of funding implications and succession planning.
The Modoc County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved adding 1.5 full‑time equivalent assistant chief probation officer positions at its April 28 meeting, a move the department described as succession and workload planning.
Chief Probation Officer Stephen Sabetich said the additional positions present a ‘‘calculated risk’’ to enable improved operations and succession planning. County finance staff (Don Raymond) presented a five‑year fiscal projection that showed the department’s current revenue sources (including state allocations and AB 109 funds) should cover the hires in 2027 but that, in later years, the department may need to draw on AB 109 savings if no new revenue or grants materialize. Raymond’s projection included scenarios showing pull‑downs from AB 109 savings ranging from about $90,000 in 2028 up to roughly $176,000 in a later year if baseline revenues do not increase; he noted the county currently holds roughly $2.5 million in AB 109 savings, with an estimated residual balance of about $1.1 million after current commitments.
The board debated the budgetary tradeoffs and emphasized that grant opportunities (including a court‑affiliated drug court grant under discussion) and potential Medi‑Cal time studies could offset long‑term costs. Supervisors described the proposal as sensible for continuity and succession planning and approved the changes and advertising to fill the positions. The board recorded no individual roll‑call votes; motions were adopted by unanimous voice vote.
Implementation steps include posting the positions, conducting recruitment and working with the AB 109 committee if drawdown of savings is needed in later years.
