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VISIT CORONANEWSPRESS.COM
Thursday, June 13-June 19, 2024
Local. Relevant. Trusted.
VOL. 8,
NO. 175
CEO: Current fiscal year budget balanced, state deficit may impact Riverside County By Paul J. Young, City News Service
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iverside County government's budget is balanced as the current fiscal year comes to a close, and the county is going into 2024-25 with increased reserves, but finances may be impacted by the state's deficit, county CEO Jeff Van Wagenen told the Board of Supervisors Monday. "That's one of the top pressures facing us right now — the state budget deficit," Van Wagenen said at the outset of the county's 2024-25 budget hearings. "The legislative response could mean significant cuts to services. We're working with our departments to manage those. There could be downstream consequenc-
es for us." The California Legislative Analyst's Office reckons the state budget deficit going into 2024-25 to be $68 billion. Van Wagenen noted that while the county's "revenues are flattening," the budget ending 2023-24 is structurally balanced, and projections are for the same in 2024-25. One of the bright spots going into the next fiscal year, which officially starts July 1, is the county's reserve pool is expected to hit $698 million, compared to $590 million at the end of 2022-23. The CEO said the current reserve plateau would trans-
late to nearly two months' worth of funds available to meet all General Fund needs — in case of an emergency and lack of income — "the first time ever we will have met that mark." The 2024-25 proposed spending blueprint totals $9.6 billion, an 11.1% increase from 2023-24's budget of $7.45 billion. Executive Office staff estimated county discretionary revenue — which, unlike programmed funding, the board may use for any purpose — will top out at $1.22 billion in the next fiscal year, a $100 million increase over 2023-24. Officials anticipated increases in most revenue
streams throughout 2024-25, including property tax revenue, motor vehiclein-lieu of property taxes, interest earnings on treasury pool investments and ongoing income from redevelopment assets, driven in part by inflation. The heads of county public safety agencies appeared before the board Monday morning to highlight budget concerns. District Attorney Mike Hestrin said he would need an additional $1.2 million over the proposed $207 million budget proposed by the Executive Office, which advises the board. Hestrin said the See CEO Page 15
Riverside County CEO Jeff Van Wagenen. | Photo courtesy of Jeff Van Wagenen/X
Riverside County board tentatively OKs structurally balanced 2024-25 budget
Pair who killed man and woman in San Jacinto sentenced to 30 years
By City News Service
By City News Service
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he Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tentatively approved a $9.6 billion budget for Riverside County government in the 2024-25 fiscal year that officials said is structurally balanced and will net reserves approaching $700 million. "We don't want to dip into reserves to balance the budget," Riverside County CEO Jeff Van Wagenen told the board ahead of its 5-0 vote on day two of budget hearings. "We know pressures will continue, costs will continue to mount and
revenues will continue to flatten." Van Wagenen said the 11% increase in the spending blueprint compared to 2023-24 was required to keep pace with obligations, including services and payrolls. The top concern for department heads going into 2024-25 will be the possible local effects of the state's estimated $68 billion shortfall. "I'm worried about what's coming," Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said. "What's coming is potentially harmful to local governments, with
potential budget reductions and layoffs. All these things (departments' needs) are probably going to be facing cuts this time next year. The state budget is tanking by billions and billions of dollars, and history shows that local governments usually follow a year or two later." Van Wagenen acknowledged "there could be downstream consequences for us." One of the bright spots going into the next fiscal See Budget Page 32
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wo men who gunned down a woman and her boyfriend at a San Jacinto intersection during a drive-by attack stemming from a family quarrel were sentenced Friday to state prison. Martel Patrick McBride, 25, and Kenneth Hahn Wilson, 24, both of Hemet, were convicted in March of the 2018 slayings of 19-year-old Lauren Lopez of San Jacinto and 22-year-old Patrick Powell of Hemet. A Riverside jury deliberated less than a day before finding each man guilty
of two counts of firstdegree murder. Along with the murders, Wilson was additionally convicted of special-circumstance allegations of taking multiple lives, as well as sentenceenhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jason Armand imposed a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wilson and sentenced McBride to 30 years to life behind bars.
Co-defendants Alexis Mary Garcia and Ariel Irene Savoie — both 25 and of Hemet — pleaded guilty last year to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and also received state prison terms. According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney's Office, the conflict leading to the attack originated with Savoie and Powell, who had been romantically involved until breaking off their relationship shortly after she gave birth to his child. On the morning of Jan. See Murderers Page 31