General Government
Proposed Budget-Balancing Reductions

  • Total budget-balancing reductions for General Government amount to $3.8 million and 27.6 positions in 2007-08 and $131.9 million and 213.6 positions in 2008-09. These reductions assume necessary statutory changes will be enacted by March 1, 2008.
  • Programs exempted from reductions include debt service, lease payments securing lease revenue bonds, the Light Brown Apple Moth Program, and the Homeowners' Property Tax Relief Program.
  • The major reductions are described below:
    • $405,000 and 9 positions in 2007-08 and $1.2 million and 9 positions in 2008-09 for the State Public Defender's Capital Appeal Legal Representation Program. This reduction would delay adjudication of appeals in capital post-conviction cases.
    • $250,000 in 2008-09 from the Payment to Counties for Homicide Trials Program. Legislation is proposed to reduce the funding provided to reimburse counties for high-cost homicide trials by 10 percent.
    • $124,000 and 1 position in 2008-09 for the California Arts Council. The Arts Council will eliminate the Special Assistant to Director position and reduce training and travel costs.
    • $510,000 and 3 positions in 2008-09 for the Public Employment Relations Board. The programs affected would be Fact Finding, the Oakland Office, the General Counsel's Office, and Administrative Services.
    • $1.9 million and 10.5 positions in 2008-09 for the Department of Personnel Administration. This would impact the Classification and Compensation Unit, the Labor Relations Unit, the Legal Unit, the Benefits Unit, the Administrative Services Unit, and Rural Health - Retiree Contributions.
    • $4.9 million in 2008-09 for the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for Agriculture Plant Health and Pest Prevention. This reduction will impact survey and eradication activities for the Red Imported Fire Ant and Diaprepes programs. Activities in the Pierce's Disease Control Program will also be reduced.
    • $1.3 million and 11 positions in 2008-09 for the CDFA for Animal Health/Food Safety. This reduction will eliminate various programs including health monitoring and reporting, Johne's Disease research, animal care, pet food inspections, rendering inspections, and field investigations.
    • $263,000 in 2007-08 and $1.5 million and 4 positions in 2008-09 for the CDFA for the General Agricultural Activities Program. This reduction will close the Microscopy Sections at the University of California-Davis and Fresno laboratories and the Avian Virology section at the Fresno laboratory. It will also limit the activities of the Agricultural Security and Emergency Preparedness Response Program to only the evacuation of pets and livestock during emergencies.
    • $664,000 and 8 positions in 2008-09 for the CDFA for Executive/Administrative Services. This reduction will impact analytical services, financial reporting, support training functions, and services to staff in management reporting and personnel services. Support will also be reduced to implementing climate action programs.
    • $3.4 million General Fund, $105,000 Special Funds, and 28.5 positions in 2008-09 from the Department of Finance. The programs affected would be the Annual Financial Plan, Program and Information Systems Assessment, Supportive Data, and Administration and Program Support.
    • $242,000 in 2008-09 for Financial Information System for California (FI$Cal) for reduced spending on facilities operations.
    • $293,000 in 2008-09 for the Office of Administrative Law's (OAL) Regulatory Oversight Program. This reduction will impact OAL's ability to review proposed regulations submitted by other state agencies.
    • $1.5 million and 2.9 positions in 2008-09 for the Military Department's Army National Guard Program. This reduction will impact the Department's ability to sustain, maintain, and repair Military Department facilities.
    • $700,000 in 2007-08 and $1.4 million and 8.6 positions in 2008-09 for the Military Department's Office of the Adjutant General Program. A reduction to this program will result in a diminished capability to render appropriate military honors for California's deceased veterans.
    • $100,000 in 2007-08 and $700,000 and 5.7 positions in 2008-09 for the Military Department's youth programs. This reduction will result in a diminished ability to provide management, supervision, and training to the students of the youth programs such as Starbase, Oakland Military Institute, Grizzly Youth Academy, Challenge Support, and Sunburst Youth Academy. In addition, this reduction will result in fewer students being served by these youth programs.
    • $18.7 million and 115 positions in 2008-09 for the CDVA Veterans Homes. In order to meet this reduction the Veterans Home in Yountville will maintain current member levels in the Memory Care and Skilled Nursing Care Units; the Veterans Home in Chula Vista will offer private rooms for members requesting assisted living care; the Veterans Homes in Ventura County will postpone opening the Adult Day Health Care units; and, the Veterans Homes in Redding and Fresno will delay staffing for the pre-activation phase. The Department will also eliminate a component from the Enterprise-Wide Veteran Home Information System.
    • $523,000 and 1 position in 2008-09 for CDVA for Veterans Claims and Subvention. This reduction will impact outreach efforts and local assistance to the county Veteran Service Offices.
    • $15 million in 2008-09 from the Senior Citizens' Renters' Tax Assistance Tax Relief Program. Legislation is proposed to reduce by 10 percent the grant amounts available to renters who are over 65, or who are visually impaired. Grants are available to households with incomes below $42,770. The maximum annual grant of $349 would be decreased by approximately $35.
    • $4 million in 2008-09 from the Senior Citizens' Property Tax Assistance Tax Relief Program. Legislation is proposed to reduce by 10 percent the grant amounts available to homeowners who are over 65, or who are visually impaired. Grants are available to households with incomes below $42,770. The maximum annual grant of $473 would be decreased by approximately $47.
    • $3.9 million in 2008-09 from the Subventions for Open Space (Williamson Act) Tax Relief Program. Legislation is proposed to reduce by 10 percent the reimbursement counties receive for property tax revenues lost as a result of assessing lands covered by Williamson Act contracts at a lower value.
    • $2.6 million in 2008-09 from the Senior Citizens' Property Tax Deferral Tax Relief Program. Legislation is proposed to reduce participation in the Program by 10 percent by lowering the maximum income for participants. The Program is currently available to persons over the age of 65 with household incomes below $35,500.
    • $23.8 million in 2008-09 from the Citizens Option for Public Safety/Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act Program in Local Government Financing. This proposal, which does not require legislation, would reduce local law enforcement discretionary grant amounts by 10 percent. The funds are distributed on a population basis to police and sheriffs departments, and county district attorney offices.
    • $3.5 million in 2008-09 from Booking Fees by reducing reimbursements in Local Government Financing. Pursuant to existing statute, sheriffs departments may increase by a commensurate amount the fees they charge other law enforcement agencies for booking arrestees into county jails.
    • $1.9 million in 2008-09 from the Small/Rural Sheriffs Program in Local Government Financing. Legislation is proposed to reduce grants in 37 counties for discretionary law enforcement purposes from $500,000 to $450,000.
    • $100,000 in 2008-09 from Redevelopment Agency Special Supplemental Subventions in Local Government Financing. This proposal, which does not require legislation, would reduce by 10 percent the funding that backfills revenues lost by redevelopment agencies when the business property tax was eliminated in the 1980s.
    • $1.2 million in 2008-09 from the trailer fees backfill in Shared Revenues. Legislation is proposed to reduce by 10 percent the funds local governments receive to backfill Vehicle License Fee (VLF) revenues they lost when the method of assessing the VLF for commercial trailers was changed.
    • $30.2 million in 2008-09 for reduced employee compensation costs associated with reduced Bargaining Unit 6 staff at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
    • $4.9 million in 2008-09 for Augmentations for Contingencies and Emergencies. This reduction could result in fewer Item 9840-001-0001 deficiency requests and more Supplemental Appropriations Bill requests.
  • The following entities are proposed to have an unallocated reduction in 2008-09 for which the implications are unknown at this time:
    • $825,000 for the Fair Political Practices Commission.
    • $275,000 for the Political Reform Act.
    • $104,000 for the Little Hoover Commission.
    • $59,000 for the Commission on the Status of Women.
    • $74,000 for the Law Revision Commission.
    • $17,000 for the Commission on Uniform State Laws.
    • $1.6 million for the Bureau of State Audits.
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CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS for General Government Back to Top

 Proposed Workload Budget
image of black pointing arrowProposed Budget-Balancing Reductions
 Other Special Session Issues
 Program Enhancements and Other Budget Adjustments
PRINTABLE BUDGET DOCUMENTS Back to Top
Budget Summary - General Government (pdf * - 128K) -
Provides this entire General Government Chapter in pdf format.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Back to Top
Proposed Budget Detail - General Government
Displays Proposed Budget Detail information for General Government.