www.montereycountynow.com JUNE 5-11, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 19 The annual budget of a government agency is built through spreadsheets. But it’s also built through a certain amount of discussion, some of it as rehearsed as theater. In the County of Monterey, department leaders make their case to the Board of Supervisors, each taking a few minutes to advocate for their slice of the pie. Given that normal modus operandi, I found it unsurprising that Sheriff Tina Nieto wrote an email to the entire Sheriff’s Office staff urging them to advocate for her request of a $6.4 million augmentation beyond what County finance staff were recommending ($171.8 million for fiscal year 2025-26, which begins July 1). “The following are the noted job classifications and number of positions at this time that may be impacted if we are not provided the augmentation requested,” she wrote. What followed was a bullet point list—deputy sheriff enforcement (34 positions), deputy sheriff corrections (13), and so on, for a total of 78. “Each of you has the right to speak in person or by Zoom to advocate for the Sheriff’s Office to receive the funding it needs,” Nieto wrote. What was surprising was when leadership from two unions broke ranks and instead told the supervisors they could not support the proposal. The boards of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association (DSA) and County of Monterey Patrol Association (COMPA) voted unanimously to sign on, describing Nieto’s request as “coercive” for stating “they will be ‘forced to cut’ [employees]. No mention of fleet cost reductions, vendor contract renegotiations, program pauses furloughs, or any other cost-saving measure was proposed,” the unions wrote. COMPA and DSA leaders read the letter aloud to the Board of Supervisors. Nieto followed up with her own press release. “As your elected sheriff, I am making our communities aware that the currently proposed budget cuts will not allow us to maintain the level of service that is expected of our residents,” she wrote. “The cost of everything has gone up,” Nieto says. “I’m not a miracle worker and I don’t print money. I am hoping not to lay off anybody. But when you don’t have the money to pay people, how do you get by without doing that?” (In an interview, she calls layoffs a “last resort.”) Nieto and Undersheriff Keith Boyd were back in the supervisors’ chambers less than a week later, on June 3, seeking authorization to recode $4.2 million that had been wrongly classified, and also for an appropriation of $2.75 million out of the contingency fund to make payroll for the remainder of this fiscal year (which ends on June 30) because of going over budget. As to the first item of changing an accounting code error, Supervisor Luis Alejo wanted to know: “How could such an error occur with such a big price tag and such a big consequence?” Then he referenced the battle of the press releases the week prior: “You can’t blame us if your office is coming in with millions of dollars in overruns.” The supervisors expressed vigorous and unanimous support for making sure everyone gets paid, so they approved the appropriation—and they also directed an audit of the Sheriff’s Office. “I’d like some more transparency around where the dollars are going,” said Supervisor Chris Lopez. A lot of that money (this year, $4.3 million) goes to overtime, which is a problem with no end in sight. Less staff means more overtime. Last year, the Sheriff’s Office had finally filled its ranks, training 24 new deputies. That coincided with a countywide hiring freeze—so they have 24 new deputies still waiting in the wings, but another 25 have since left or retired. The SWAT Team is down to 13 personnel, although according to the department website it’s a 24-member team. (“I am actively trying to recruit,” says Cmdr. Andy Rosas.) Meanwhile, the County issued a quiet mea culpa, although technically speaking, there was no admission of wrongdoing. Sgt. Bryan Hoskins was terminated in 2023 after revelations he had earned $263,996 in overtime— more than double his regular pay. He sued the County for wrongful termination; they settled in 2024. Hoskins was rehired and received $212,213 in backpay and $350,000 in damages. Hoskins was at the Board of Supervisors meeting on May 28 representing COMPA, where he recited the law enforcement code of ethics. “My fundamental duty is to serve mankind, to save lives and property,” he said. “I will keep my life unsullied as an example to all.” Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Vibe Shift Funding requests from the sheriff prompt questions, and an audit. By Sara Rubin GOLD PLATED…As a translucent cephalopod, Squid is good at blending in. That doesn’t mean Squid wouldn’t appreciate some recognition (see: Squid’s self-nomination to receive a Seaside Star). What seems even more clear is that Squid’s beloved bulldog, Roscoe P. Coltrane, deserves some public appreciation. But even Roscoe got snubbed in a dog-positive town that is elevating another breed. The Labrador retriever is being immortalized in the form of 12 fiberglass statues on display throughout Carmel-bythe-Sea businesses. The Carmel Chamber of Commerce enlisted local artists to paint and stylize each one. The pooch at Fourtané, named Coco, happens to be covered head to tail in pearls and 24-karat gold jewels, for example. Coco should fetch a high price when she’s auctioned off online between Aug. 28 and Sept. 4; 20 percent of proceeds will go to the nonprofit Animal Friends Rescue Project this year, while the rest goes back to the Chamber of Commerce, responsible for promoting local businesses, pup-friendly or otherwise. Maybe Squid will grab a few buckets of paint and decorate Roscoe to see how much Squid’s beloved pet is worth—or just enjoy the cuddles that Roscoe offers for free. WORK FOR IT…When executive coaching and career development firm Careerminds did a survey of 3,007 workers about how “a growing number of Americans are stepping off the career treadmill earlier,” they did not survey Squid. How much ink must Squid expend before Squid will have saved up enough for a “micro-retirement”? Sounds like a new-fangled word for some time off between gigs, when you might need to live cheaply, maybe move into Stevie the Sea Star’s basement, under a rocky ledge, for a few months— there are no deadlines there, and also no rent. “Not everyone is waiting until 65 to hit pause on work,” Careerminds offers. (Maybe that’s a good idea for Squid given the life expectancy of most cephalopods.) But the survey respondents obviously had a different budget in mind. The top 10 destinations for micro-retirements include Big Sur (No. 4) and Carmel-by-the-Sea (No. 9). “You don’t come to Big Sur to be busy. You come to listen to the ocean, to the wind through the redwoods, to your thoughts,” according to the May report. “Fairytale world” Carmel encourages people to “create a lifestyle centered on peace, creativity and inspiration.” The list in full reads like a real estate guide for people with money to burn while they listen to their thoughts. Until Squid’s macro-retirement, Squid will be writing down Squid’s thoughts and saving up for the future. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “You can’t blame us.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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