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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will hold budget workshops on April 14 and 16 beginning at 9 a.m. each day in the County Administration Building, Fourth Floor Hearing Room, 105 East Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara. If more time is needed, an additional session will be added April 17 starting at 12 p.m.
The Budget Workshops present the County’s preliminary budget to the Board and public. During the workshops each department will give a presentation outlining its budget, emerging issues, accomplishments, and goals.
The theme for the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget is Stability amid Uncertainty: Sustaining Progress through Prudent Planning, which acknowledges that careful fiscal planning in prior years allows for a largely status quo budget and afforded the County time to plan for future fiscal volatility, while still advancing countywide initiatives.
“As we navigate the uncertainties of tomorrow with lower expected revenue and potential federal cuts, our commitment to sustaining progress and prudent planning will serve as our guide,” said County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato. “I am thankful for the foresight of our board over the past several years to set aside money, allowing us to better weather the shifting tides while continuing to advance our priorities.”
The County’s preliminary operating budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 is $1.69 billion. The budget is balanced by the release of a $6.8 million ongoing revenue set-aside.
“We can fill next year’s budget gaps without reducing services,” said Budget Director Paul Clementi. “However, service expansions aren’t recommended, and the five-year outlook points to tighter budgets ahead.”
Challenging Financial Factors include:
- Jail and other operating costs outpacing revenue growth
- Slowdown of state revenues upon which we rely
- Volatility of proposed federal funding cuts for key County services
“The road ahead won’t be without challenges, but our mission is unchanged. We must keep driving progress on housing, sustainability, and support systems for those who need it most. We encourage the public to get involved and share what matters most to you,” said Chair of the Board of Supervisors Laura Capps.
Focused Priorities Include:
- Tackling Housing Challenges with workforce housing programs; farmworker housing; and streamlining approvals with pre-approved plans for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and expanding online permitting systems.
- Supporting Vulnerable Populations with a $6.5 million increase in spending on mental health bed utilization; $2 million investment in the National Farmworker Jobs Program; and supporting interim housing beds for the homeless including Hope Village (Santa Maria) and La Posada (Goleta Valley), offering 174 non-congregate units.
- Advancing Sustainability and Climate Action by pursuing grants to fund Climate Action Plan initiatives and installing 150 new electric vehicle charging stations.
- Investing in Parks, Public Access, and Infrastructure from Cachuma Lake upgrades and Rincon Park restrooms to the Modoc Multiuse Path Phase 2 and the Bonita School Road Bridge replacement.
- Improving Justice and Jail Services by increasing jail health care with 22 new positions and expanded mental healthcare under a new contract; expanding pilot programs to reduce jail stays and court delays; and renovations to the Main Jail and expansion of the Northern Branch Jail.
- Strengthening County Services with Technology & Innovation by launching new budgeting and financial systems in 2025 for better efficiency and transparency and dedicating $450k to cybersecurity enhancements to protect County data and systems.
The submitted department budgets and revenue estimates are available in the Budget Workshop Materials 2025-2026 posted online. A schedule for the budget workshops can be found here, Budget Workshop Schedule FY 2025-26.
The public is encouraged to follow the proceedings via the County’s website, YouTube, and cable TV channel 20. To watch in Spanish, Cox and Comcast subscribers can enable SAP in their language settings or watch in Spanish via the County’s YouTube en Español. Remote testimony and public comment will also be available at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building at 511 East Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria, and virtually via Zoom by following the instructions found in the agenda.
County budget workshops are held approximately one month before the release of the recommended budget and two months before budget hearings. This provides the Board of Supervisors an opportunity to review and discuss departments’ preliminary budgets and special issues, receive public input on these items, and provide the County Executive Officer direction on policy issues or specific items for consideration prior to completion of the Recommended FY 2025-26 Budget to be released in May.
Final budget decisions will be made on June 17 and 18, 2025 when the Board of Supervisors holds budget adoption hearings. For information about Santa Barbara County government, go to http://www.CountyofSB.org.
