The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has spent $5.3 million on overtime staffing in the first three months of the fiscal year, according to the County Executive Office.
That’s about half of the annual overtime budget, and if the spending continues at that rate, the office could go over budget by $9 million.
“A deficit this size could eliminate almost the entire general fund surplus if the department does not take immediate steps to control and reduce costs through the remainder of the fiscal year,” budget analyst Katrina Fernandez said at Tuesday’s county Board of Supervisors meeting…