The following is the April 29 edition of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Yolo County email newsletter, by reporter Daniel Hennessy and the team at Yolo Local. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
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This time of year, municipal budgets get a lot of attention — at least in my world. With June quickly approaching, leaders across Yolo County are once again figuring out how to contend with struggling revenue and ballooning costs.
Deliberations are frequent, sometimes confusing and almost always lengthy. As a reporter, I’m tasked with distilling these conversations into digestible stories. Budget development season can be a test of clarity, concision and ability to translate numbers on a spreadsheet to real life consequences.
In Yolo County, the consequences this year will likely include fewer jobs and strained services. At its meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors discussed the possibility of cutting roughly 118 county jobs, which staff said would have a meaningful impact for residents.
Also, last Saturday was the statewide opener for trout fishing season, a day that enthusiasts refer to as “fishmas.” In light of that, we’re resurfacing a story about Yolo County’s own unique trout fishing experience.
And, for some background reading on Yolo County’s ongoing structural budget deficit, check out this story we wrote a few months ago about how the county ended up in this position.
We’ve teamed up with Yolo Local, a civic media initiative of Davis Media Access, to bring you this weekly newsletter. Here’s what you need to know today:
STORY OF THE WEEK
Yolo County considers roughly 118 job cuts as it works to fix a $35 million deficit
Leaders on Tuesday heard a proposal from staff that detailed cuts in both vacant and filled positions across county services.
BY DANIEL HENNESSY | dhennessy@kvie.org
In short: Yolo County is going to have to make cuts to personnel and services to fill a multimillion-dollar budget gap this year, county staff warn. Reductions would come countywide, but the Health and Human Services Agency may face some of the steepest cuts.
A bit more: A final decision on cuts won’t come until June, but the Board of Supervisors is considering approximately 118 jobs in its reduction plan.
NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
With time, effort and respect, returning fishermen say Putah Creek can change your life
Yolo County’s $40 million budget deficit is decades in the making. How did we end up here?
Another housing development is moving along in Davis. If approved, it will go to voters
DISPATCHES FROM THE FARM
Agriculture is a central part of life in Yolo County, so I’ll be checking in each week with a farmer, rancher or other industry player for the latest ag updates. What are the people who help produce our food thinking about?
This week, Paul Muller and Gisèle Herren from the Capay Valley are keeping us in the loop.
- Farmers around the county are full steam ahead planting summer crops. At Paul’s farm, summer corn, melons, summer squash, tomatoes and others are going in the ground. The first harvest will come in June, and harvesting will extend through the fall.
- At Paul’s farm, they’re also harvesting some of the last of the winter crops, including spinach and lettuce.
- The recent rain was very welcome as it put some moisture in the ground and cleaned everything up on the farm.
- Paul and company are also starting to plant cover crops in recently harvested fields. The cover crops gather carbon and put some nitrogen in the soil in preparation for next season’s planting. Paul said that farming in Yolo County is nonstop.
- At Gisèle’s farm, they are harvesting mulberries and the first apricots of the season.
- Fifty young ducklings will make their first trip out into the pasture today, along with 200 older layer ducks. They hope this means the farm can supply more duck eggs when they start laying in July.
- The swales on the farm have collected and stored water, but the ground is finally starting to dry out. That means Gisèle and company are bringing irrigation back online to water the trees this summer.
- After hand weeding around the trees, the crew will be applying compost and thick mulch to “keep trees healthy and the soil alive and moist through the summer.”
HEARING FROM YOU
The best way to learn about a place is to listen to the people who know and love it. Each week, we’ll feature a quote or tip from a community member that captures a slice of life in our county. Write to me with something interesting or ask a question about Yolo County!
This week, I have a question to throw out there.
| The primary election is coming up in June, and there will be plenty of decisions for Yolo County voters to make. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be turning our attention to local elections coverage. We’d love to hear from you about what would be most useful as you get ready to cast your ballot.
What can we do to help you along the way? Email me!
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
It can be hard to keep up with local government and community events, so we’ll continuously feature a few below. Have something you think we should highlight? Email me.
- “Touch A Truck” is an event sponsored by Davis Sunrise Rotary that offers kids the opportunity to “explore, sit in and marvel at various trucks.” It takes place May 3 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Veterans Memorial Center in Davis. More information can be found here.
- The Woodland Farmers Market opens on May 9. It will take place on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. across the street from the Woodland Public Library. It runs on the weekend through mid-October.
- Woodland Community College’s annual student showcase is opening May 1 at Gallery 625. Featured artists include current and former students and there will be a reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on May 1. More information can be found here.
Want to discover more events across the Sacramento region, in Yolo County and beyond? Check out Abridged by PBS KVIE’s new searchable events calendar with things to do across the four-county area.
BEFORE I GO,
Thanks for coming back (and signing up) for this newsletter. Remember: I’m accountable to you. If you read a story and think there’s an angle I’m missing, I want to hear about it! Please reach out with your feedback and know that I take it seriously.
See you next week!
Daniel Hennessy joins Abridged from the California Local News Fellowship. He’s a reporter covering Yolo County.