Grand Jury needs funding Expected to approach supervisors again
The Plumas County Grand Jury was one vote shy of its recent request for additional funding from the Board of Supervisors.
What the grand jury was requesting was another $7,000 that would come from the county’s yet untapped General Fund of $250,000. The Grand Jury’s original fiscal budget was $24,517.
When District 5 Supervisor Jeff Engel voted no on Grand Jury Foreman Howard Johnson’s proposal to the board Tuesday, March 10, it might have stopped the appointed body from some of its remaining responsibilities, but they were expected to return yesterday, Tuesday, March 17, with a new proposal.
The proposal required a four-fifths vote to pass. Even with the board down one supervisor (District 1), four members would have had to approve the request to pass.
What Johnson requested was for additional funding to cover the grand jury’s per diem primarily for travel expenses, explained District 4 Supervisor Lori Simpson.
Johnson told supervisors in his presentation to the board, that it costs them approximately $1,000 per meeting.
Although the grand jury had approximately $450 in out-of -county travel, Johnson said they would roll that over and use that amount for current expenses.
Simpson asked Johnson how the Grand Jury came up short of funding. She said supervisors request all department heads to stay within their budgets. She added that the same thing happened to the group last year.
Johnson said he wasn’t sure what happened this year. The price of gasoline did increase and grand jury members are paid mileage for their travel expenses.
It was Simpson who said Johnson would return yesterday with a new request for additional funding.
