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 a letter 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.”)
“You can’t blame us.”
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.”
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What we’re seeing isn’t just a budget fight—it’s a crack in the foundation of our local government. The Sheriff’s fiscal troubles may take center stage this week, but they’re part of a broader pattern: a county drifting off course, unmoored from fiscal discipline and public trust.
Yes, the Supervisors are right to hold the Sheriff accountable. Oversight is essential. But it’s hard to ignore the irony—they, too, preside over vast sums and silent ledgers. Who is auditing their budgets with the same scrutiny?
When I ran for Supervisor, I proposed a forensic team—not symbolic, but surgical—to examine every dollar spent: where it goes, what it does, and whom it truly benefits. That idea was met with silence.
And while money can be recovered, lives cannot. The real crisis is inside our jails. A private healthcare contractor, shielded by legal walls and nondisclosure agreements, oversaw avoidable deaths—leading to a costly class-action settlement. And still, people are dying. Still, there is silence. We’re told even the Supervisors were kept in the dark. If true, that’s damning in itself.
The answer has been clear for years: an independent oversight committee, led by an inspector general with subpoena power. The public has asked. The Supervisors have answered with a drumbeat of crickets.
Accountability must cut across all departments and all titles. Until it does, we aren’t governing—we’re managing the illusion of governance.
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