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Board hears $257M public infrastructure budget, leaders highlight road, facilities and procurement needs
Summary
Public Infrastructure presented a $257 million recommended budget and 277 FTEs for 2025–26, stressing capital needs for roads, transit, facilities and a proposal to replace an aging procurement system; supervisors pressed for clearer funding and a plan for unincorporated communities’ district funds.
Public Infrastructure officials on Wednesday outlined a recommended fiscal year 2025–26 budget of roughly $257 million and 277 full‑time equivalent positions, and asked supervisors to consider adding funding for a modern procurement system and more resilient approaches to road and facility repairs.
Deputy Director Monique Chapman and Administrative Services Officer Chris Collins told the Board that the department manages a wide portfolio — county roads, transit, facilities, fleet, refuse and the airport — with funding drawn from general fund, fees, state and federal grants, fund balances and internal reimbursements. Transit and roads rely heavily on state and federal grants; Chapman warned that federal changes could put some reimbursements at risk.
Collins highlighted fund balances across 87 funds the department manages and noted a temporary negative balance for transit accounting tied to bus procurements. He also raised several federal policy issues that could affect grant funding, including recent federal guidance tying some grant compliance to department policies; PI staff said they are monitoring potential impacts carefully.
Key operational items included continued repair and seismic retrofit work for bridges and storm‑damaged priority sites, workforce recruitment for transit leadership, and integrated waste capital work including landfill expansion and a household hazardous waste facility. The department requested $337,000 in one‑time funds and $267,000 annually to purchase a modern procurement platform, arguing the existing supplier portal lacks functionality, causes staff time losses and hinders transparency.
Supervisors asked for more detail about several program areas during Q&A. Supervisor David Rabbitt and others probed whether lighting and small district fund balances could be consolidated or used more strategically for unincorporated communities. Public Infrastructure said revenues now flow to a countywide lighting district while capped legacy funds remain in place until spent; staff said CSA 41 remains the primary construct for unincorporated community service funding and that consolidation choices rest with the Board.
Capital projects: County Administrator staff and Public Infrastructure presented a county‑wide capital improvement program showing about $220 million in proposed projects for 2025–26, including funding for the County Administration Center campus, the adult and juvenile detention centers, Americans with Disabilities Act retrofits and a number of regional parks projects. Regional Parks described several park construction awards and planning projects, and noted Measure M and mitigation fees will be used to leverage additional grants.
Supervisors asked that the County Administrator present clearer, periodic project reports and a list of unfunded but prioritized projects so the Board can track long‑lead items. Public Infrastructure said it can provide quarterly status updates and that many projects are being phased because annual capital funding is limited.
The board took no vote; presentations will feed into the broader budget deliberations.
