Merced Sun-Star
Merced's domestic violence and rape crisis center will be forced to cut back on staffing and delay some worker paychecks because of the state budget gridlock.
Dave Goger, who oversees the Valley Crisis Center in Merced and Mountain Crisis Services in Mariposa, said hundreds of thousands of dollars were withheld for nearly three months while state legislators fought about how to bridge the $15 billion deficit.
Valley took over several local social services after A Woman's place folded.
Even with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signing the 85-day-late budget Tuesday, it will still take two to three months for the grants to go from Sacramento to Merced and Mariposa.
As a result, the nonprofit's cash flow has slowed a trickle. To keep counseling domestic violence and rape victims, Goger relied on an existing line of credit and pulled a $100,000 short-term loan. Both centers remain in a precarious situation, and Goger's calling a community meeting Thursday to discuss the area's needs and the little money available to meet them.
"We want Merced to have ownership of this program," he said. "This is a community need."
Goger hopes the nonprofit will get a cash infusion in November. In reality, he said, it will probably be in December, though it can't be any later.
"At that point I'm dead in the water," he said. "These next two months will be extremely difficult."
The main problem is that the center is reimbursed after it submits invoices to the state, a system that gets put on hold when there's no budget. With it's long delay, Goger suspects the state will be inundated by invoices and take awhile to slog through them.
Mountain Crisis Services expanded in July to Merced after the collapse of A Woman's Place, which was driven into bankruptcy by mismanagement. The Mariposa-based nonprofit was already at a disadvantage because it was starting with a budget a quarter the size of A Woman's Place's last spending plan.
Goger opened Merced's center with a skeleton staff, even holding off on filling some positions, such as a full-time worker and receptionist at the shelter.
Since its start, Valley Crisis Center has given beds to 15 women and 18 children and held 79 counseling sessions. Its staff has also helped 63 people file temporary restraining orders.
To deal with the state budget disaster, Goger plans to ask the board of directors on Friday to temporarily lay off some workers and withhold paychecks for some salaried workers in Merced and Mariposa until the state money is received.
He wouldn't say how many workers could be affected. There are 10 people, not all full-time, who work for the Merced center.
Some of staff worked at A Woman's Place, and he admits they've been through enough turmoil already.
"I'd be lying if I said they weren't all nervous," he said. "A lot of them deserve Purple Hearts. Asking them for one more thing -- I almost say it apologetically."
Goger tapped former chief public defender Wayne Eisenhart when there was an opening on the nonprofit's board because of his deep ties to domestic abuse services.
Eisenhart, who helped form A Woman's Place nearly two decades ago, said it's critical that Merced have a domestic abuse and rape crisis center.
He remains confident that Valley Crisis Center will survive, though it still needs the support of local residents and organizations.
The 6:30 p.m. meeting in the Sam Pipes Room at the Merced Civic Center, which the public is encouraged to attend, will look at the financial problems and what residents feel are the main services needed in Merced.
"I would think all of the residents of Merced County should be concerned about an erosion of services to domestic violence victims," he said. "It's not just a law enforcement issue. It's a social issue."
Reporter Scott Jason can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or sjason@mercedsun-star.com.
