Shasta County budget hearings taking place this week have further revealed the financial crisis being experienced by county government. Health and Human Services, which accounts for around half of the county’s budget, has undergone tremendous cost increases without a corresponding boost in compensation from the state and federal agencies that mandate most of what they do. The District Attorney’s Office is in a staffing crisis that has forced them to forgo prosecution of many misdemeanor cases. Sheriff Michael Johnson suggested Thursday that it’s time to reinstate impact fees and pursue a public safety sales tax. After much discussion the Board of Supervisors approved a budget of around $650 million
– Steve Gibson