Plumas County approves midyear budget adjustments; moves opioid-settlement oversight to Public Health

The Plumas County Board of Supervisors approved midyear budget adjustments for fiscal 2024–25 on April 15, after a presentation by the auditor-controller and department staff. The board's roll-call vote adopted a multidepartment package that changes personnel and operating appropriations, re-establishes fund balance in several funds and reallocates selected professional‑services dollars.

Key changes: Auditor-Controller Craig Goodman and CAO staff explained that a large fraction of the adjustments correct previously overstated wages and benefits and restore fund balance across departments. The package reduces several salary and benefit appropriations that had been overstated and increases other line items where departments face real shortfalls (for example senior services and sheriff costs). The board approved the adjustments with an amendment to hold any additional jail utility-related transfer requests for later allocation, per the sheriff’s finance comments.

Opioid settlement funding reassignment: As part of the midyear package, the board approved moving the county’s opioid settlement allocation (originally held in the CAO budget) to the Public Health Department for administration and oversight. Public Health Director Nicole Reiner told the board the county has received roughly $450,000 in an initial installment and now has nearly $2 million in settlement proceeds available; state guidelines restrict allowable uses and require annual reporting. Reiner said the funds must follow state requirements for high‑impact abatement activities, including treatment, naloxone distribution, youth prevention and infrastructure for substance-use-disorder services.

Why it matters: The midyear package is intended to correct accounting and projection errors in wages and benefits, make department budgets more accurate for the remainder of 2024–25, and place opioid settlement funds with the county department best positioned to manage public-health programming and reporting.

Vote and implementation: The board approved the full midyear package on a roll-call vote. Staff will implement transfers and report back as necessary. The auditor and CAO said they will continue to work with departments and HR to refine personnel worksheets for the FY 2025–26 budget cycle and to stop using certain one-time LATCF (Local Assistance/Tribal Consistency Fund) dollars to mask ongoing insurance costs in departmental budgets.

Ending: Supervisors said the corrections provide a clearer financial picture going into next year’s budget and that the reassignment of opioid funds to Public Health will allow the county to pursue prevention, treatment and harm-reduction projects under state guidance.