REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2020
FROM
JASON ANDERSON, District Attorney
SUBJECT
Title
Budget Adjustments for Contracted Services and Worker’s Compensation Insurance Fraud Prosecution Grant
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve budget adjustments in the amount of $184,445 to appropriation and reimbursements and authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post adjustments within the District Attorney’s 2019-20 budget, as detailed in the Financial Impact Section (Four Votes Required).
(Presenter: Michael Fermin, Assistant District Attorney, 382-3662)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The District Attorney (Department) requests budget adjustments within the 2019-20 budget as reflected below to provide sufficient appropriation for costs associated with contracted services for forensic toxicology and transcription services.
Appropriation and revenue adjustments are also requested in the Special Revenue Fund for additional grant funds of $184,445 received from the CA Department of Insurance for the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Fraud Prosecution Program. The budget adjustments will allow the Special Revenue Fund to reimburse the Department’s General Fund for nearly all of the salary and benefit costs of staff assigned to the grant. Staff assigned to the grant are budgeted in the Department’s General Fund to ensure sufficient appropriation and fund balance for salary and benefit costs. The State issues the grant funds once a year, typically close to the end of the County’s fiscal year. When the funds are received, the Special Revenue Fund reimburses the General Fund for the salary and benefit costs.
|
Description |
Fund Center |
Commitment Item |
Action |
Amount |
|
Equipment |
4500001000 |
54404040 |
Decrease |
$10,000 |
|
Purchased Software |
4500001000 |
54904095 |
Decrease |
$70,000 |
|
Professional Services |
4500001000 |
52002445 |
Increase |
$80,000 |
|
Sal/Ben Transfers Out |
4500002672 |
55405012 |
Increase |
$184,445 |
|
State - Grants |
4500002672 |
40408955 |
Increase |
$184,445 |
|
Sal/Ben Transfers In |
4500001000 |
55415013 |
Increase |
$184,445 |
|
Regular Salary |
4500001000 |
51001010 |
Increase |
$184,445 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On January 28, 2020 (Item No. 37), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved an agreement with Bio-Tox Laboratories (Bio-Tox) for forensic toxicology services, expanding the existing services to include a 6 and 10-drug panel of substance tests for persons under the influence to identify the type and quantity of substances in blood samples. The Department is able to accommodate these costs by transferring appropriation within its existing budget.
Additionally, the Department would like to ensure there is enough appropriation to pay transcription invoices at the end of the fiscal year. When the Superior Court temporarily continued cases beginning in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department was able to assign staff to finish reviewing outstanding cases. During this time, the Department filed 5,600 cases with the Court and will be prepared for trials to meet tight deadlines according to statute and emergency orders from the Judicial Council. In addition, the Court will resume hearing the cases that were continued from the time that the Court partially closed since March. As a result, the Department has incurred additional costs for transcription services which can be accommodated by transferring appropriation within its existing budget.
The Department also needs to make budget adjustments to the Special Revenue Fund to receive additional revenue from the CA Department of Insurance for the Worker’s Compensation Insurance Fraud Prosecution Program. During the Recommended Budget development phase for Fiscal Year 2019-20, the Department estimated a grant award of $2,065,850 based on grant awards from prior years. However, in October 2019 (Item No. 21), the Department received $2,234,996 and on March 24, 2020 (Item No. 26), the Department received an additional $15,299. This was an increase of $184,445 over the budgeted amount of revenue. The Department requests to increase appropriation and revenue in the Special Revenue Fund and reimbursements in the General Fund for the additional amount.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Katherine Hardy, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5437) on May 21, 2020; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Erika Gomez, General Accounting Manager, 382-3196) on May 27, 2020; Finance (Carl Lofton, Finance Analyst III, 387-5404) on June 05, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Kelly Welty, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on June 5, 2020.