Riverside County supervisors approve emergency declaration for Airport Fire
Bridge Fire containment reaches 35%; 73 structures destroyed
Pg 35
Pg 03
VISIT HEYSOCAL.COM
Local. Relevant. Trusted.
Thursday, September 19-September 25, 2024
VOL. 8,
NO. 189
Riverside County Board approves allocations to fill early gaps in 2024-25 budget By City News Service
T
he Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved roughly $1.6 million in appropriations to fill early gaps in the current fiscal year budget, drawing down the county's cash reserve, without notable impacts to the General Fund. In a 4-0 vote without comment -- and with Supervisor Karen Spiegel absent -- the board signed off on the Executive Office's expenditure request as part of a firstquarter 2024-25 "clean-up," which typically occurs every September, after the state's budget for the new fiscal year is in operation. The appropriations will reduce the contingency cash balance from $7.5 million to $5.9 million, according to the Executive Office. The largest share of the outgo will be for costs tied to the March Air Reserve Base Joint
| Photo courtesy of Riverside County
Powers Authority, as part of an ongoing revenue sharing agreement, officials said. Despite the draw-down, General Fund inflows and outflows for the current fiscal year remain on track, and in a few cases, agencies identified higher estimated revenues. There was no projection for a significant change in the
$9.2 billion appropriations blueprint approved by the board in June. The current budget represents an 11% increase over the 2023-24 spending plan. One of the bright spots for the current fiscal year is the county's reserve pool is expected to hit $698 million, compared to $590 million at
the end of 2022-23. 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, a $100 million increase over 2023-24. County CEO Jeff Van Wagenen confirmed at
the end of June there are remaining 2021 American Rescue Plan Act funds in the county treasury, but they'll have to be spent by Dec. 31. The county received $480 million in ARPA allocations and another $500 million in 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act money. The federal infusions
have been applied to "budget stabilization," community development, infrastructure projects and related programs. Under the current budget, $2.6 billion is going to the Riverside University Health System, the largest set-aside in the spending plan, at 27% of total expenditures. The outgo translates to a 5.6% increase in healthcareoriented obligations. Public safety agencies are next, with $2.2 billion in expenditures, 8.5% more than last year's outlays and 23% of the composite budget, while the social services portfolio will get $2.1 billion in General Fund receipts, also representing an 8.5% increase compared to 2023-24 and comprising 21.4% of the budget. A quarterly report on county finances is due in November.
Riverside County Board seeks possible ordinance to regulate 'e-bikes'
Home sales slow in August in Riverside County, statewide
By City News Service
By City News Service
T
he Board of Supervisors Tuesday directed the Riverside County Executive Office to craft an ordinance for regulating electric bikes, or "e-bikes," to enhance safety and ensure residents can use them without coming into conflict with pedestrians and other modes of transportation. Board Chairman Chuck Washington proposed moving forward with creation of a
measure for the full board's consideration, possibly before the end of the year. "E-bikes are now used by all types of riders in Riverside County, including commuters, mountain bikers who need a little help getting up trails, riders with disabilities or other physical limitations, casual adult riders and children," the supervisor said in a statement See 'E-bikes' Page 17
posted to the board's agenda Tuesday. "With more people using these bikes, it is essential to establish safety guidelines to prevent accidents and ensure that all road and path users are protected." The state has implemented a regulatory framework for e-bikes, but Washington noted that local jurisdictions can improve on it, and a few
H
ome sales slowed in August in Riverside County and across the state, the California Association of Realtors announced Tuesday. The county saw an 8.4% decline in sales compared to July, and a 4.2% decrease over August 2023. Statewide, August's sales pace fell 6.3% from the 279,810 homes sold in July of this year to 262,050, but was
up 2.8% from a year ago at this time. "Home price growth in California continued to moderate in August as the market neared the end of the traditional home buying season," CAR President Melanie Barker said in a statement. "With the Federal Reserve signaling it will lower interest rates soon, mortgage See Home sales Page 17
rates are expected to ease well below their recent peaks. As such, housing affordability will improve in the fall, and buyers will benefit from lower costs of borrowing in the coming months." The only two regions of the state to experience a decline in year-to- year sales were Southern California, which dropped 2.3%, and the