Riverside County Sheriff Reports $5 million Budget Surplus

Coachella, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and other desert cities will soon pay more for police protection from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, despite the fact the sheriff’s department now has a $5 million budget surplus.

It’s giving that money back to the county.

The City of Coachella faces a $1.6 million budget deficit.

“We’re short on money, specifically for safety, police and fire,” said Jesse Villarreal, a Coachella City Council member. “We need money big time.”

The city could cut 13 jobs if voters don’t approve a 5 percent tax increase to help fund public safety.

“Right now, we’re paying between $7 and $8 million for police officers,” said Villarreal.

And, it will soon cost more.

The city contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to fight crime. But, beginning July 1, cities such as Coachella will have to pay more, despite the fact that Sheriff Stanley Sniff is giving $5 million back to the county. But, the department said it can’t use county money to help the cities pay for police protection.

“I’m surprised that we’re going to have to pay more and yet they have a surplus,” said Villarreal.

But, it didn’t start out that way.

The Sheriff’s Department was $22.3 million in the hole. But, it eventually balanced the budget without laying off anyone. Money from the federal government helped, and so did more than 100 deputies accepting early retirement, Sniff said.

He said the department also delayed buying new patrol cars.

“At the end of the fiscal year, that money returns back to the board one way or the other,” said Sniff, who hoped the county would use the extra money to help prevent layoffs in other county departments.

But, that $5 million won’t save every job.

“There will be people, potentially 1,600 layoffs in the rest of the county government,” said Sniff.