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County projects modest general-fund surplus in Q2 budget report; sheriff and parks note pressures
Summary
County staff reported a projected ~ $11.9 million positive variance in the general fund for FY 2024–25 at the second-quarter briefing, driven by higher property and transient-occupancy tax receipts; sheriff overtime and parks revenue shortfalls were flagged as stress points.
Santa Barbara — County staff reported a second-quarter projection that the general fund will end fiscal 2024–25 about $11.9 million positive relative to budget, driven largely by stronger-than-expected property tax and transient-occupancy-tax receipts.
County Executive Office staff explained departments estimate year-end outcomes using two quarters of actuals plus projections for the remaining year. The report identified a group of departments with reportable variances: general revenues (positive, led by property tax and TOT growth), probation and the CEO’s office (salary savings), while the parks division (Community Services) and the Sheriff’s Office showed notable shortfalls.
Parks revenues were reduced by delays in the Goleta Beach restaurant opening and an RV project at Cachuma; staff said the restaurant opened recently and the RV work is now expected to finish in May. Parks is holding nonessential staffing vacancies to offset the revenue shortfall but may require general fund support absent further cuts.
The Sheriff’s Office continues to report overtime pressures that are not fully offset by vacancy savings; staffing vacancies require training overlap that reduces salary-savings benefits. The county is holding Prop 172 and other set-asides to help cover unexpected sheriff costs, and staff said additional general-county set-asides will likely be needed to close the sheriff’s year-end position, in part because of contractual salary increases enacted earlier in the fiscal year.
Information Technology funds showed a projected positive variance in the IT shared services fund and a negative projection in the communications fund driven by provider-billing increases prior to a vendor change. Countywide vacancies were about 11% (roughly 533 of 4,700 funded positions) at quarter 2, down slightly from quarter 1.
The board received and filed the update. Staff noted the numbers will be reflected in the baseline for the preliminary FY 2025–26 budget conversation scheduled in April.
