McGinness' Internal E-mail Suggests Frustration Over Budget Battles, Economy

Earlier today Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness announced that he will not seek a second term as Sacramento County's top law enforcement official.

Elk Grove News has acquired a portion of an internal e-mail from McGiness to Sacramento Sheriffs Department (SSD) personnel regarding his planned retirement.

Like every government agency in California, the SSD has been forced to operate on a smaller budget which has lead to reduced staffing.

Read the e-mail here.

The extraordinary people of the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department are enduring a most difficult time. The consequences of the recent budget reductions have devastated the Department and resulted in the loss of valuable programs, critical equipment and most importantly, the loss of many of our most precious resources, our own people. I am also sensitive to the many good people in the organization who, while still employed, have suffered demotion or loss of special assignment and the associated element of personal satisfaction. While we have endured significant hits, we are still strong in terms of character and quality of people, it is such strength that will allow us to endure.

Recent publications have suggested the economy is beginning to recover. While I hope that is true, many economists continue to believe we have yet to bottom and that the recession may continue or worsen before recovery begins. Regardless of the progress of true economic recovery, any benefit we see in the public sector will lag behind that of the financial markets and the private sector in general. We are only 34 days into this fiscal year and the County of Sacramento is already facing significant fiscal challenges; the State of California has passed a budget that will not likely survive the calendar year. The combination of all these factors should serve as a strong indicator that we will continue to have challenges unprecedented in the County’s history throughout the next year. In fact, I believe the coming year may be the most critical in our evolution, and that the manner in which we manage this critical period will have a profound impact on the success of SSD long after we have moved on.

I am wholly committed to efforts to protect and restore our organization. Such an endeavor will consume all of my available time, energy and effort. With that as my singular focus, I have decided to not seek another term.

I greatly appreciate the good work, friendships and support I have experienced over nearly thirty years with the Department. My sincere hope is that we will see significant economic growth and restoration before my anticipated retirement in January of 2011.