[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6523240,"mediaKeyId","5062016-39d5c8f0cc513e472d1bd941916543b5","parentId",5062016,"title","Board orders review of Veterans Services after concerns about capacity for roughly 30,000 veterans","audioSeconds",1483,"startMs",1713000,"endMs",3196000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5062016-39d5c8f0cc513e472d1bd941916543b5&start=1713&end=3196","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5062016-39d5c8f0cc513e472d1bd941916543b5/thumbnail_1713000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6523240/Solano-County/California/Board-orders-review-of-Veterans-Services-after-concerns-about-capacity-for-roughly-30000-veterans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6523240-1a83f35be11d34795633c5dd71368437/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160394&Signature=ERe~HvE3qNwsx-HlVcRHK-z6lT4WgT3RRkMXXWCQKckImcC59CZzt8nmXsfIYpo30-Gt5DIkf4tznuxhAuK3Th3W0DN0W4~jtWcSzZZpoBJE-c6grQNWggT3eUC~b8NyDMk3dwHy6kuqBmfF4f1JJLSZETGIeuB5inD-KmQthwq5P5W7ugeUP9jez2aYe2C5b1knFexxKomhljP1BfMn-vBtzR8VDzkbhhJVgYNEmhxTGCFEVaPlvBWWEPOnjNfbHg6Y6LV8QCnmXzOPOBbx46h2QLcl1Z5nWjz4f7TfUFr93pe1QS-av7MW0gAHoyCSI1ETT-qJUxRDJgf7xUzVWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-25T04:03:07.187Z","article","The Solano County Board of Supervisors during its special budget hearing directed county staff to conduct a comprehensive review of the Veterans Services Department's staffing, management structure and operations after supervisors said the office may not be resourced to serve the county's large veteran population.

Supervisor Williams said Solano's veteran population is roughly 30,000 and urged the county to ensure the department has enough certified staff to process claims and benefits. Williams recommended considering creation of a deputy director position once recently hired staff obtain required certification so the office can process claims when the director is unavailable.

Al Sims, the county's veteran services director, told the board during public comment that Solano fits in a medium-to-large veteran-county category but is staffed \"about half as well\" as comparable counties. Sims said the office recently served about 9,000 veterans who had never been served previously and that the department lacks management backup when the director is out of the office: \"When I went out on surgery... the county administrator cannot access any of my systems in my office. They can't provide any help to the congressman when they call my office. They can't provide any help to the spouses when they call my office,\" he said.

County administrative staff said the department has faced turnover and vacancies and that the county has added positions in recent years, bringing staffing to one of its highest levels, but that hires and certification timing have complicated service delivery. The county administrator and other staff said they prefer to evaluate the department's workload after newly hired staff complete certification and then return with a recommendation; several supervisors also suggested a management audit and exploring whether to consolidate certain services with other county departments, such as Health and Social Services.

Why it matters: Supervisors noted Solano County's concentrations of military and veteran households, including active-duty families at Travis Air Force Base, and said insufficient certified staff could reduce the county's ability to deliver benefits and generate related revenue for department operations.

Board direction

The board did not change the budget line items for Veterans Services during the meeting. Instead, supervisors directed County Administrator staff to perform a comprehensive review of the Veterans Services Department's staffing, location, management and organizational ties and to return to the board with findings; the board gave no immediate commitment to add a permanent deputy director position.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Supervisors 06-23-25 Meeting 1 of 1","oneSentenceSummary","Supervisors raised concerns about veteran-services staffing and operations during the FY25-26 budget hearing and directed staff to conduct a comprehensive review of the Veterans Services Department, following testimony from the department director that the office is understaffed compared with similarly sized counties.","taxTitle","Solano County, California","taxId",3563,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6523245,"Solano County adopts $1.65 billion recommended budget, draws reserves to balance",3055,168000,3223000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5062016-39d5c8f0cc513e472d1bd941916543b5&start=168&end=3223","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5062016-39d5c8f0cc513e472d1bd941916543b5/thumbnail_168000.jpg","/articles/6523245/Solano-County/California/Solano-County-adopts-165-billion-recommended-budget-draws-reserves-to-balance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6523245-965149e3fe6d35a0958667fb749fd36a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160394&Signature=GIzZA78gzuaSH5xaUBZbMg~Q6HxofDpG-G0wFRo~oM6vmhQy4HzTwDmBkoDwGtBYoRpDfcGB8PHxHP55sND-LJpA~ThDW45H-es4oh8GUuZ2HkAICL6SjFdBWQz3KIy1hrxXIXQq~3nxeWomaFlqedn3u1dEWcW-SIJDIZDW8opOXHu0vxmbDZfs1PTqiE8WhVWc8xFr7qyQdCIkH7zmsZkin3KfPOz~~YSvOZDel0e~FB~ASbTTsRXE8fjdH7JQVzazbHtJ1Hf~jdTsTG-eF2eOJ0JbY34WR2JD4yEoUel41y1NzpRa0awGv6PCjMZHcy3POYWQYlI1V13tS55~Eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Solano County Board of Supervisors on a 5-0 vote adopted the county's fiscal year 2025'26 recommended budget, a package the county said totals about $1.65 billion in governmental funds and relies on one-time draws from reserves to balance near-term capital needs.

County budget staff emphasized that while steady property-tax growth helped stabilize revenue, rising costs for pension and health insurance, increased services-and-supplies expenses and a decline in certain sales-tax streams required using reserves. Emily (county budget staff) told the board, \"This budget does rely on draws from reserves to cover some of our most pressing capital needs,\" and said the recommended draw from the capital renewal reserve is $7.8 million, which would reduce that reserve to about $13 million if approved.

The board packet shows the general fund portion of the recommended budget at about $417 million. Special-revenue funds total roughly $1.17 billion; health-and-social-services and public-safety programs together account for about $831 million. Capital projects in the recommended budget total about $48 million. Budget staff also reported the recommended total allocated positions change is very small year over year and highlighted several limited-term positions that are expiring.

Why it matters: the adopted budget funds core county services including health and social services and public safety, functions staff said are heavily dependent on state and federal funding streams that may change. Emily warned the board that unsettled federal and state budgets could require the county to return in the fall with adjustments.

Details and drivers

Budget staff described multiple cost pressures shaping the document: the compounding effect of prior multi-year memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with county labor groups, rising CalPERS pension costs, higher medical and liability insurance premiums and inflation-driven increases in construction and supplier costs. Staff said property-tax growth has been a stabilizer but that a decrease in the statewide sales-tax source often called \"Prop 172\" has reduced revenue used for public-safety operations.

Staff noted a roughly 0.03% decrease in total governmental funds versus the prior year's adopted budget when transfers are included. Salaries and benefits were cited as the county's largest expense category; services and supplies have grown about 18% in the past three years, staff said. The presentation also listed recommended non-budgetary actions, including a proposed new technology and communications reserve to plan for large, future technology and radio-interoperability costs.

Reserves and balance strategy

County staff said the recommended budget assumes year-end savings from FY24'25 will materialize and uses one-time carryovers and reserve draws to balance FY25'26. The capital renewal reserve draw of $7.8 million is the largest one-time draw noted; staff said the figure leaves the reserve at a lower level than in recent years. Budget staff also described ongoing discretionary payments toward CalPERS unfunded liability accounts as a strategy that has reduced future pension-cost growth.

Positions and expenditures

Budget materials and staff commentary indicated limited net position changes: staff referenced a net addition in the recommended budget and noted several limited-term positions expiring at the fiscal year'end. The packet and staff comments described a cautious approach to salary assumptions because labor contracts are expiring and future compensation costs were not included in the baseline budget.

Board action and next steps

After public comment and board discussion, Supervisor Mashburn moved to approve the recommended budget; Supervisor Brown seconded. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0. County staff said they will monitor federal and state budget developments and return to the board if material changes require revisions.

Votes at a glance

Adopt FY2025'26 recommended budget (recommended document and position resolution): approved 5-0. The board recorded approval as \"ordered by a vote of 5 0.\"","The Solano County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the recommended fiscal year 2025–26 budget totaling about $1.65 billion, using one-time reserve draws and relying on steady property-tax growth while warning federal and state funding uncertainty could force later changes.","actionData","errors"]

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Board orders review of Veterans Services after concerns about capacity for roughly 30,000 veterans

Solano County adopts $1.65 billion recommended budget, draws reserves to balance