Letter: 'Fortune teller' sees Sutter budget woes

For many of you, this may seem like a rather strange New Year's resolution, but I've decided to become a fortune teller. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to be so good at it that I'm willing to share my very first prediction.

For many months now, we've all been hearing and reading about the financial woes of virtually all of our local jurisdictions. One notable exception seems to be Sutter County, which has told us that it is financially sound.

To add credibility to that boasting, the Board of Supervisors recently gave itself a 20 percent pay raise. Although this raise seems contrary to anything that a reasonably intelligent human being might do under the circumstances, the board did indeed do it - which brings me to that promised first prediction.
I say that within the next 30 days or so, the county is going to issue a press release stating that it has underestimated revenue sources and corresponding budget shortfalls and will have to lay off employees and reduce services.

Could the county not have seen this coming? Of course it could have ... and did. The only difference between it and the rest of our surrounding jurisdictions, which apparently have been forthcoming with us all along, is that Sutter County has supervisors who wanted to make sure that they got their pay raise before directing staff to tell us the truth.

Mike Short
Yuba City

Editor's note: Supervisors rescinded their pay hike on Jan. 6, after this letter was received.