The Legislature finds that counties are faced with critical revenue shortages and a need to provide and maintain vital public services that the public wants and needs.

The Legislature finds that many counties have employees who possess expertise, education, and training that enables these employees to be considered experts within their respective areas of service to the public.

The Legislature finds that counties which employ these individuals, if permitted to contract with the public to share their employees’ expertise, could receive additional revenue sources for the benefit of the county employing these individuals, and aid the economic well-being of the state generally.

The Legislature finds that counties currently provide many services efficiently and effectively, and by increasing or enhancing these services to the public, would further increase the utilization of existing resources and staff, and may, in some instances, permit reducing the counties’ cost per unit of providing services to the public.

Therefore, the Legislature finds that permitting counties to provide optional services and enhanced services that the public wants, needs, and will hire serves a valid public purpose.

(Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 787, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1993.)