The Board of Supervisors approved a $415.5 million balanced budget today focused on prioritizing core services, long-term financial stability, and direct services to residents.
The adopted budget for fiscal year 2025-26 was approved in a 4-1 vote. The adopted budget includes a mix of state and federal funds in addition to $123.8 million local general funds. The budget includes 931.85 full-time equivalent staff positions.
Board of Supervisors Chair Heidi Hall said she is confident that the County is in a strong fiscal position despite uncertainty in both federal and state funding. The County has contingency plans in place if it should lose expected funding.
Moreover, the budget is a planning document that can be changed if needed. “The Board can at any time request that pieces of the budget can come back to us to be re-evaluated,” she said.
Supervisor Sue Hoek said she is pleased with the service the County provides residents with the funding available. "This County produces a lot, and we have a lot of unfunded mandates that come in," she said. "I think we're very fiscally responsible."
The nearly 700-page budget covers expenditures for all County operations, including public safety (sheriff, district attorney, public defender, probation, emergency services), community development (public works, planning, cannabis), health and human services (behavioral health, social services, housing), information general services (library, airport, technology), elections and more.
It outlines the County’s spending on its priority objectives: fiscal stability/core services, emergency preparedness, economic development, broadband, housing, homelessness, recreation and climate resilience.