Cities Are Going To Have Tough Choices To Make As Employee Pension Costs Rise
A new analysis shows that 16 percent of the general fund budget in an average large city will go toward pension payments in just seven years’ time. That means other things, such as emergency services, might suffer.
Los Angeles Times:
California Cities Say Pension Costs Are High — And Will Get Even Higher In The Next Few Years
Citing limited options for raising local taxes, the association representing hundreds of California cities warned that rising public employee pension costs might mean fewer services and longer emergency response times over the next several years. (Myers, 2/1)
In other new from across the state —
Los Angeles Times:
L.A.'s Homelessness Surged 75% In Six Years. Here's Why The Crisis Has Been Decades In The Making
Some of the poorest people in the city spend their days in the shadow of Los Angeles City Hall, napping on flattened cardboard boxes. On any given day, as many as 20 people take to the City Hall lawn, across the street from LAPD headquarters. They're there to "escape the madness" in downtown streets, a 53-year-old homeless man named Lazarus said last week. At night, they fan out to doorways or deserted plazas to wait for daybreak. (Holland, 2/1)
Modesto Bee:
Racial Bias Lawsuit Against Schools After Teen’s Suicide Moves Ahead, But Changes Made
A civil rights lawsuit involving Modesto schools will go forward, a federal judge ruled in a case brought by the mother of a black teen who committed suicide after receiving school discipline in 2015. However, pretrial judgments have significantly pared the case from its original scope. (Stapley, 2/1)
Oakland Tribune:
Contra Costa Supervisors Appoint Health Services Director
Anna Roth, a health care executive and registered nurse, is the new director of Contra Costa Health Services, replacing William Walker, who led the county’s largest department for two decades. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors appointed Roth to the post on Jan. 30. “Anna is a seasoned health services executive working in CCHS for nearly 25 years and we look forward to her leadership in addressing the many issues facing the health department in the coming years,” said Contra Costa County Administrator David Twa. (White, 2/1)
San Jose Mercury News:
Dangerous Toxins Detected In Shellfish From Monterey County
Dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) have been detected in the shellfish from this area. Cooking the mussels doesn’t destroy the toxin either and it’s poisonous enough to cause illness or death. (Mayberry, 2/2)
Oakland Tribune:
Contra Costa Grocery Outlet Cited For Safety Violations
Health inspectors around the Bay Area are taking a closer look at a popular grocery chain after photos went viral of raw pig carcasses being wheeled in shopping carts into stores in San Jose and Richmond. The Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health is already looking into operations at a 99 Ranch Market store in San Jose, and last week, a team from Contra Costa County’s environmental health department visited the 99 Ranch Market at Richmond’s Pacific East Mall after receiving a report of unsanitary handling and storage of raw port at the grocery store, said Contra Costa Environmental Health director Dr. Marilyn Underwood. (Kelly, 2/1)