What's at stake?
Fresno County budget hearings begin on Monday, Sept. 15. They’ll have a new-look this year, as residents can expect to see eight of the county’s 20 departments give presentations on their proposed budget.
Federal funding cuts are having an effect on what these budgets may include.
The loss of millions of dollars in federal and state funding for Fresno County is already affecting local departments and services.
The county’s recommended budget for the next fiscal year comes in at $5.3 billion. Though the number has grown for well over a decade now, there is some fiscal uncertainty following moves from the president’s administration.
This year’s hearings will also see a slight change in procedure, as eight of the 20 county departments are scheduled to give presentations on their budget in front of the board.
CAO says federal funding cuts bring uncertainty in years to come
At the top of the recommended budget, Fresno County Administrative Officer Paul Nerland outlined some of the challenges and strains local departments and services are already facing as a result of federal and state cuts.
Fresno County is losing about $14.5 million in federal funding this year.
The county’s department of social services expects their contribution of funding to help administer the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, to increase by $6.5 million in the 26-27 fiscal year. The increase comes after the federal contribution decreased from 50% to 25% — a change from President Trump’s approved budget plan earlier this year.
There are about 128,000 households in Fresno County that receive SNAP benefits, according to a public health department dashboard.
The CAO also notes that this year’s recommended county budget dips into one-time funding like American Rescue Plan Act dollars to help reach a balance. Nerland writes that he anticipates dipping into those funding pools in the future to have a “soft landing” ahead of more anticipated federal and state cuts.
This year’s budget sees most departments bring forward lower expenses compared to the previous year. The county will also see a net loss of 57 vacant positions this fiscal year.
Sales tax revenues stagnate, but property taxes grow
Property tax revenues in the county increased by a “healthy” 6.4% over the last year. However, the amount doesn’t seem to cover the rising costs throughout the county.
The budget also notes that sales tax revenues are “demonstrating minimal to no growth.” The City of Fresno saw a similar trend during their budget hearing process.
Property and sales tax revenue are the biggest contributors to the county’s general fund — the main money source for its budget. The general fund amount for this year’s budget is $2.6 billion — a $104 million increase from last year.
The county saw a second year of decreasing revenue from Proposition 172 — a measure approved by voters in 1993 that appropriates half-a-cent of sales tax to go toward funding local public safety, like sheriffs and district attorneys.
“This puts more pressure on the very limited amount of discretionary funding available for Net County Cost operations,” the budget reads.
Legal offices see vacancies, funding losses
Some of the county’s law enforcement agencies are seeing challenges through the loss of state funding, overtime spending and vacancy rates.
The Public Defender’s office is anticipating a decrease in state grants of $211,527 — a loss of about a fifth the amount they were afforded last year.
The county’s fiscal climate will also see the Probation department lose $900,000 in overtime funding.
The District Attorney’s office also noted their biggest challenges come from vacancies.
“State legislature continues to force unfunded mandates on the District Attorney by expanding the number of courts that the office is mandated to staff,” budget documents read.
Of the district attorney department’s budget, $1.5 million is being appropriated to help cover attrition issues and vacant positions.
In spite of these issues, none of the three departments are expected to see losses in staffing or vacant positions heading into the next year.
A CalMatters investigation earlier this year found that Fresno is among about half the counties across the state that does not staff an adequate ratio of public defense investigators to district attorneys.
Public Health hit hard by federal cuts
The president’s federal budget has brought cuts impacting the entire county budget, but the Department of Public Health is the most impacted – although their total budget still grew from last year..
The department anticipates a loss of $11-13 million in federal funding. The funding loss is being disputed in court by a coalition of states across the country, but state leaders have told the public health department that there is no guarantee funding will be reintroduced by the end of litigation.
Earlier this year, at least seven Fresno County healthcare workers lost their jobs as a result of those federal grant losses.
The budget also notes how the county’s Emergency Preparedness Programs will lose about $400,00 as a result of the federal funding cuts. The Nutrition Education & Obesity Prevention program is also scheduled to end at the end of September, resulting in a loss of $2.2 million.
The addition of more animal control services will cost the county about $5 million, up 101% from last year. The increase will help offset costs related to an ordinance passed by the board of supervisors for animal control services — a move intended to help relieve the stray cat and dog issue in the county.
The department is also expected to lose 28 vacant positions this year, the most countywide. They’ve lost 41 in the last two years.
New $31.7 million mental health facility behind Behavioral Health budget increase
The Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health has edged out the Social Services Department with the most funding in the county budget for the next fiscal year.
Their budget increased by 9%, or $41,101,838 from last year. Their total budget for the year is about $520 million.
The increased budget is tied to some big shifts inside the department brought on by local and state governments.
California voters passed Proposition 1 last year. The proposition introduced a bond to help emphasize treatment and rehabilitation for mental health patients. The proposition also forces counties to renovate old mental health facilities, and build new ones.
The behavioral health budget appropriates $31.7 million toward a new mental health facility on Olive Avenue.
Also, the department will see a new position added this next fiscal year – a rarity among the county given the current fiscal climate.
Sheriff’s Office budget grows by $40 million to cover overtime and extra help
The Fresno County Sheriff’s department is expecting to see a 12% – or $40 million – increase in their budget this year, bringing their total to $385,395,311.
But the additional resources won’t buy more staff. The increased costs are associated with negotiated salary increases, funding to help pay extra help and overtime pay this fiscal year, and the purchase of new and replacement vehicles for the department.
The department is seeing an influx of $28,632,995 as part of that budget to cover last year’s overtime and extra help pay.
The department is also seeing a 42% increase – or $5 million more – in spending toward new and replacement vehicles, including 30 patrol cars, 5 SWAT rifles and a new dog.
County facilities to get $53 million in upgrades
The budget also appropriates $53 million in one-time funding for multiple county projects.
The county will use $8.5 million toward repair and remodel projects, including fire alarm replacements at the County Plaza and the Fresno County Hall of Records building.
The Fresno County Juvenile Justice Campus will also see $5.1 million going toward maintenance and modernization.
How to attend and comment on the county budget
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors will hold budget hearings on Monday, Sept. 15 and Tuesday, Sept. 16.
The hearings will take place on the second floor of the Fresno County Hall of Records building, inside the board of supervisors’ chambers. The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m.
Residents can also follow along from home by watching the hearings online through the county’s YouTube channel.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported the number of households on SNAP, and the amount the county’s financial contribution is expected to increase by. Also, an earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that the Sheriff’s office would be receiving money to cover last year’s overtime expenses. The money will be used to cover overtime costs in the coming fiscal year. This story has been corrected.
