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Public commenter warns of looming county budget deficits and rising PERS costs
Summary
A commenter identifying as Sterling urged supervisors to examine budgets dating to 2017, flagged increases in PERS and administrative staffing, and cited projected deficits of about $12,000,000 for 2027–28 and a later figure near $71,000,000, while also disputing claims that tree mortality was limited to a single area.
A participant who identified only as Sterling asked the board to scrutinize the county's financial outlook and historical budgets from 2017 onward, saying he had reviewed departmental spending and was concerned about rising pension (PERS) costs and administrative staffing increases. "By going through all those budgets...the PERS have gone up tremendously," he said, and noted administrative employees rising from about seven to 13.
Sterling warned of projected deficits, citing figures of roughly $12,000,000 in 2027–28 and a later projection he described near $71,000,000 for the early 2030s; he urged supervisors to examine hiring and pension assumptions before approving upcoming budgets. He also challenged a characterization that Cobb was the 'epicenter' of tree mortality, saying the problem affects all of Lake County and that tree-fall during winter months complicates comparisons.
His comments requested closer budget review and suggested that supervisors have time before final budget adoption to examine staffing, pension costs and departmental explanations; the board did not take action during public comment.
