From the bridges you cross every day to the library in your neighborhood, the sheriff's office, even county golf courses, all will be getting more funding over the next 12 months after the Kern County Government passes a massive $4 billion dollar budget. 23ABC's Sam Hoyle took a closer look at the impact the funding will have on community services and county residents.
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00:00 From the bridges you cross every day to the library in your neighborhood, even county golf courses, and the sheriff's office, all of them will be getting more funding over the next 12 months after the county passed a massive $4 billion budget.
00:13 23 ABC's Sam Hoyle takes a closer look at the impact the funding will have on our everyday lives.
00:20 If you were to come to the Kern County Library on any given Tuesday, it would look a lot like this. Closed. That's because they're closed on Tuesdays.
00:28 On Tuesday, the Kern County Board of Supervisors approved their new budget for the year. And with that budget comes more money for the library system to increase hours at 8 different branches all across the Kern community. And with that, make it more accessible for everyone.
00:42 Far from the urban core of downtown Bakersfield, land is wide open. But the libraries here are often closed.
00:48 We're super excited that we're going to be expanding hours with the measure K funding at our Boron location, Buttonwillow, Frazier Park, Kern River Valley, Lamont, Mojave, Rothbund, and Rosemont.
01:01 And having services and having this expansion will let us have more services available, like more reading materials, more technology services.
01:10 Far Doretia is with the Kern County Library and was pleasantly surprised when the county passed its new budget.
01:15 There is a plan to expand hours at these 8 library branches. However, it will take time before the Kern County Library is able to open them in an expanded capacity.
01:24 There's going to be some time where we're going to have to hire new staff. We're going to have to train them and things like that. But we're trying to get it up and running as soon as we can.
01:35 No shortage of excitement Tuesday at the Kern County Animal Shelter either. This year's budget includes an increase in funding for Kern County Animal Services to hire 5 more full-time staff to help serve shelter animals.
01:46 A job where these employees seem to do a little bit of it all for a shelter that is constantly overcapacitated.
01:51 Our animal care workers, they clean, feed, socialize. They're the ones that are trying to rehabilitate the animals that come to us.
02:02 And at this point in time, it is a welcome sight for everyone to see a life preserver thrown their way.
02:07 It's a struggle. It's a daily struggle just to provide a basic level of humane care. And so I know that they feel like, okay, there's some troops coming.
02:20 And it's going to help us just to increase the level of humane care we can provide. And I know that they're happy about that.
02:30 In Kern County, Sam Hoyle, 23 ABC News, connecting you.