No clear fix for Kane Co. sheriff's budget woes

With only two weeks remaining in the 2009 budget year, Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez is searching for a $670,000 solution in places where money simply may not exist. A meeting on Friday provided promises but no obvious answer.

The budget shortfall is a major concern for deputies who fear they may not get paid as Perez' coffers will run dry before the checks are cut. Perez came with a proposed solution to the county board's Judicial and Public Safety Committee Friday.

Perez wants to use contingency money from the RTA sales tax account. That money is typically used for capital projects, and the county board has thus far refused to change its policy of spending capital funds for general fund costs such as personnel. Committee members asked Perez about the potential to use furlough days to help with the shortfall, but the sheriff pointed out there is almost no time on the calendar to schedule such days. However, Perez still left the unpaid days off on the table.

"If it's in the realm of possibility of having to do some furlough days to meet what we have to meet, then that's what we have to do," Perez said.

Committee Chairman Mike Kenyon said the deputies have nothing to worry about.

"The deputies are going to be paid," Kenyon said. "I hear a lot of people saying all these good people aren't going to be paid. They are going to be paid. We've got to treat our employees best. We're going to find a way to do it."

The way to do it may not be the way Perez wants to do it. At the end of the meeting - and after Perez departed - Kane County Board Attorney Ken Shepro informed the committee there are no 2009 RTA contingency funds. All that contingency has already been moved into 2010 when the county board approved the 2010 budget. Modifying the 2010 budget to shift those funds back to 2009 may not even be legally possible, Shepro said.

As far as any contingency money in the general fund, which would usually be used for such shortfalls, Shepro echoed comments made by County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay that revenue projections have been way off the past few months. That means every cent of 2009 general fund contingency may be needed to make up the lost income expected from other county departments just for the county to break even at the end of the year.

Contacted by phone after the meeting, Perez expressed disbelief about the availability of contingency money.

"Oh, come on," Perez said. "You know what? I'm not even going to comment on that. I would just say that this problem was created when the county board cut my budget in the middle of the year. It wasn't because of any mismanagement in my department. I believe the county board has just as much of a duty to find a solution to this problem as I do."