SAN MATEO — The first day of budget hearings for the County of San Mateo offered new hope for county workers and the community at large. Members of three unions presented well-researched data to the San Mateo County Board of supervisors, successfully persuading officials to re-think a county plan to eliminate 19 positions and hire outside contractors at San Mateo Medical Center.
Following opening remarks by County Manger John Maltbie on Monday, members from AFSCME, SEIU, and PDA (Probation and Detention Association) delivered a 15-minute presentation and offered an assessment of the county's budget reserves. In short, the message was: The county has been stockpiling for years and it is to the credit of previous boards of supervisors that they had the foresight -- and will -- to commit to funding and preserving services. That is how San Mateo County has come to be the premier county it is today, widely regarded as providing excellent public services.
San Mateo County has the highest ratio of unrestricted funds to total expense when compared against the top 19 most populated counties in California. (See PowerPoint attachment, Slide 5). The county has made it a priority to set aside reserve funding for a rainy day. We believe that day is here.
On Monday, the board of supervisors overwhelmingly agreed that alternatives to contracting out transportation services have not been fully explored. Members unanimously voted that they could not approve a contracting out measure without the cost analysis that workers have requested. The board also directed county management to work with labor organizations on joint solutions.
"I am relieved to hear that transportation services will continue and that the county will work with the drivers to address our transportation needs," said Donna Jo Madick, a patient at the county hospital.
While county administrators have tried to say the medical center does not "specialize in transportation,"* Adrienne Tissier, president of the board of supervisors, reminded the board that the county is still "in the business" of providing transportation, whether the transportation service is contracted out or remains in-house. Turning over services to outside contractors doesn't mean the county's responsibility to patients ends at the exit door.
"The drivers genuinely care for the patients. I've made suggestions on how to improve services," said Larry Drayton, a Utility Worker for the hospital. "Transportation to and from the hospital is part of the overall service to the public. It's part of quality health care."
*San Mateo Daily News, "San Mateo County workers protest proposed budget cuts," June 19, 2008.