Santa Barbara County Grand Jury • 2015-2016

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75 pages Consolidated Report
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Findings 13 findings

F1
Guadalupe does not generate enough General Fund revenue (sales tax, property tax, and bed tax) to pay for General Fund expenses, such as police and fire operations.
F2
Guadalupe’s current debt payment obligations will increase annually until 2024 (see Table 2) with insufficient corresponding increases in revenue.
F3
The recent passage of Measures V, W, and X will not provide a long-term solution to Guadalupe's financial issues.
F4
There is no revenue to restore salary or benefits to employees who have agreed to furloughs and salary cuts, or to add staff.
F5
There is no revenue to build up a reserve fund for emergencies or pay for needed infrastructure repair.
F6
There is no revenue to eliminate the need for the City of Guadalupe to borrow an additional $330,000 per year to meet General Fund obligations.
F7
Guadalupe is losing $4,000 per month in the Solid Waste Fund, due to faulty accounting practices, resulting in a $240,100 fund deficit as of August 18, 2014.
F8
Guadalupe has, for over 12 years, charged up to 193 percent of overhead expenses through inappropriate interfund transfers from its special funds and enterprise funds to the General Fund.
F9
Guadalupe’s inappropriate transfers included money taken from the State Gas Tax Fund, which was used for purposes expressly forbidden in the Gas Tax regulations.
F10
Guadalupe did not, until recently, follow rules that allow loans of funds from special funds to help finance General Fund activities which must be approved by the City Council, be documented, and include a repayment schedule.
F11
Guadalupe has a large tax liability to the IRS, which started in 2006 as a relatively minor dollar figure, but over the past eight years, with penalties and interest, has grown to over $486,000. 2014-15
F12
Guadalupe’s decades long hope and expectation that future housing and commercial development will improve its financial situation have not been realized.
F13
Disincorporation will freeze the existing debt of the City of Guadalupe at the current level.

Recommendations 15

Conclusions 23

Observations 15