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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The County of Santa Barbara has released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 Recommended Budget, totaling $1.69 billion in operating expenditures. This balanced and fiscally responsible spending plan reflects the County’s ongoing commitment to service stability and prudent financial planning amid economic uncertainty.
The Recommended Budget will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for consideration, amendment, and adoption during the public budget hearing scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, 2025, with a second day reserved for Wednesday, June 18, if needed. The hearings will take place in the Administration Building, Fourth Floor Hearing Room, 105 East Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara. The public is encouraged to follow the proceedings and comment on the County’s spending priorities at the hearing.
“We are navigating a period of growing cost pressures and slowing revenues. This budget charts a prudent path forward by leveraging past savings, controlling ongoing costs, and making targeted investments,” said Budget Director Paul Clementi.
This year’s Recommended Budget theme, Stability Amid Uncertainty: Sustaining Progress through Prudent Planning, emphasizes the County’s careful and strategic approach to managing a range of fiscal challenges, including:
- Slowing State revenue and uncertain federal funding
- Rising jail and service delivery costs
- Forecasted General Fund deficits totaling $19.6 million over the next five years
“We may not be able to change the course of the storm ahead, but we can be the lighthouse. The County’s leadership, prudent fiscal planning and continued resilience will guide us as we plan for an uncertain future and continue to advance our priorities. We will control what we can, relying on our values to be efficient, outcome driven and customer focused,” said County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato.
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 $16.6 million in mental health treatment beds; $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; and expanding pilot programs to reduce jail stays and court delays.
The budget also supports a number of long-term initiatives to maintain financial resilience, such as planning for the $165 million expansion of the Northern Branch Jail and maintaining strategic reserves.
“While we are navigating a period of uncertainty, with other regions making painful service cuts, Santa Barbara County is continuing to approach our budget with consistency, thoughtfulness, and stability. Driving progress on housing, sustainability, and support systems for those who need it most,” said Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Laura Capps, “Thank you to the public for participating in this budget process and sharing thoughts on funding priorities most impactful to the community.”
Departments have held the line on spending, and in Social Services, reductions in vacant positions were made to preserve essential services and prepare for future constraints. In addition, The budget is balanced by drawing on $6.8 million in prior set-aside revenues. This budget is a 4.8% increase from the previous year and supports a workforce of 4,745 full-time equivalent positions.
County Executive Office budget staff presented a five-year forecast and budget development report January 2025 that kicked off the FY 2025-26 budget cycle. Budget workshops were subsequently held in April to provide the Board an opportunity to review the preliminary budget, discuss impacts and funding opportunities, receive public input, and provide the County Executive Officer direction on policy issues or items for consideration prior to completion of the Recommended Budget.
The public is encouraged to follow the proceedings via the County’s website, YouTube or on 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 español. The Public may participate virtually, or in person at the County Board Hearing Room in Santa Barbara or Santa Maria, information about Public Participation can be found on the Clerk of the Board’s website.
Review the budget hearing materials here: https://www.countyofsb.org/4559/2025-to-2026
Check out The County’s Budget at a Glance, for a simple summary/overview of the budget: https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/c9f5310b-7fcb-45e6-a958-61fd836fe828
To watch the budget hearing live go to Channel 20 on Cox or Comcast cable TV, http://www.youtube.com/user/CSBTV20 or https://sbcounty.granicus.com/player/camera/4?publish_id=35.
For information about the County of Santa Barbara government organization, go to http://www.CountyofSB.org.
