By Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee

With local governments facing historically tight times, some are asking whether elected officials should forgo district discretionary funds.

In Placer County, two supervisors are asking that their $20,000 in unrestricted funds be tossed back into the general fund.

Sacramento County and the cities of Sacramento and Roseville are among the other local municipalities that have programs that give elected officials wide latitude in spending a small pot of money.

The Placer County program, called revenue sharing, earmarks $20,000 annually for each supervisor to dole out to local nonprofits, special causes and community events – usually in small amounts ranging from $200 to $1,000.

Supervisors Jack Duran and Jennifer Montgomery say that while the causes are worthy, core county functions should take precedence.

Montgomery has already turned her allocation back to the county to support health and human services programs in the Tahoe area.

Read the whole story