Annual California Budget Project Analysis

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To be added to the Wait List, please contact Program Associate Dion Ward at 415.777.4111 ext 23 or at dward[at]ncg[dot]org.

The Governor’s Proposed 2010-11 budget includes deep cuts to education, health, human services, public transit, and local government. The Governor also assumes that California will receive a substantial increase in federal funds to help close a nearly $20 billion budget gap. What might these reductions mean for California’s children and families? Can the state expect Washington to come to the rescue? NCG's Annual Budget Analysis with California Budget Project Executive Director Jean Ross will address these questions and more.

In addition, Susan Muranishi, the County Administrator of Alameda County, will join the conversation to supplement the California State budget analysis by reflecting on the current budget realities in Alameda county.

With unemployment over 11%, the demand for Alameda County's safety net services continues to increase. Unfortunately, the downturn in the economy has impacted the County's revenues and its ability to fund vital services. To close a record $178 million funding gap in FY 2009-10, Alameda County had to make tough decisions, including the elimination of 235 positions and reductions to key services. As the economy languishes and the State's budget mess persists, Alameda County is taking steps to keep its current year budget in balance while bracing for another extremely challenging budget next year.

Target Audience

This program is a funders–only discussion and is free and open to all NCG members.

Presenters

Susan Muranishi was appointed as the County Administrator of Alameda County by the Board of Supervisors in December 1995 and is responsible for managing a large urban county, with 9,000 County employees, with a budget of almost $2.4 billion and population of 1.5 million. Susan is the first woman to be appointed as County Administrator in Alameda County and was the first Asian–American woman County Administrator in the State. Prior to her appointment, Susan served as the Assistant County Administrator. Susan provides professional, innovative and proactive leadership through responsible fiscal and administrative policy development and program oversight.

Jean Ross is the founding Executive Director of the California Budget Project. Her prior professional experience includes serving as principal consultant to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee; senior consultant to the Assembly Human Services Committee, where she staffed the California Legislature's Joint Select Committee on the Changing Family; and assistant research director of the Service Employees International Union in Washington, D.C., where she was responsible for coordinating the union's research on tax, budget, and employment policy issues.