They get our side-eye this week! Let us tell you why...
In April 2020 the County Executive established the Coronavirus Fund Relief Committee (CRFC), authorized by the Board of Supervisors, to review and recommend fund payment expenditures to County Departments. The CRF Committee consists of:
Chief, Office of Emergency Services (Chair)
Deputy County Executive, Social Services
Deputy County Executive, Administrative Services
Deputy County Executive, Public Works and Infrastructure
Chief Fiscal Officer
Director of Finance
Director of Personnel Services
No your eyes are not deceiving you...there is no representative from public health on this committee...in.a.pandemic
On August 11, 2020 during the Board of Supervisor’s meeting District 2 Supervisor Patrick Kennedy stated, “It does look a little like a shell game to me.” Supervisor Kennedy nailed his assessment about all the shuffling of money done at the hands of the County Executive, Navdeep (Nav) Gill’s mob, the CRFC. A committee ruled by patriarchy without a conscience for the people of Sacramento who are dealing with the health and economic effects of this pandemic. Toward the end of the agenda item, Supervisor Kennedy requested Nav continue the practice of submitting a detailed and transparent budget report. Side eye. Why did he change this practice for the CRFC budget? He also asked Nav to produce a complete report on all Covid-19 related expenditures.
District 1 Supervisor Phil Serna requested that the Board take control and decision making of the remaining balance of CARES Act funding. Uhhhh Supervisors are elected and should have had control from the jump! Short of calling members of the CRFC liars, Supervisor Serna noted concerns of malfeasance and that he was having a difficult time reconciling “different stories” amongst members of the CRFC. Supervisor Serna also expressed shared concern about money moving across multiple funding pots. At this point, it’s looking criminal.
Attached to the agenda item is, Attachment #1, guidance that sets forth the Department of the Treasury’s interpretation of CARES Act funding limitations on the permissible use of Fund payments. It states, “Funds may not be used to fill shortfalls in government revenue to cover expenditures that would not otherwise qualify under the statute. Although a broad range of uses is allowed, revenue replacement is not a permissible use of Fund payments.” However, on the county’s website it states, “Freeing up General Fund revenue that otherwise would have gone to payroll costs will allow the County to avoid significant budget cuts and maintain services for FY 2020-21 that the CRF money could not be used for.”
Why is it important to fund those General Fund departments? According to the aforementioned website, “The County will receive approximately $170 million less in General Fund revenues in the last and current fiscal year, as a result of the pandemic.”
Lastly, we can’t forget that Nav is still wanted by the people of Sacramento. It was brought to our attention that his Sacramento County Executive annual salary that is more than $315,000 is invested in El Dorado County where he lives with his wife.
What to do: Make sure you call your supervisors to tell them you aint with this ish! There will be a special meeting on 8/19 at 2pm.