Siskiyou Air District sets Sept. 9 public hearing to adopt 2025–26 budget; staff outlines $2.13 million in fund balances

The Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District on Thursday voted to set a separate public hearing on Sept. 9, 2025, to adopt the district's fiscal year 2025'26 budget pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 40131.

The motion to schedule the hearing passed unanimously. Directors present who voted in favor were Director Vela, Director Lucchese, Director Valenzuela, Director Ogren and Director Kopsav.

Staff presented a budget overview and fund-balance summary ahead of the formal adoption hearing. The district reported a total fund balance of $2,126,078 across multiple programs, with specific balances stated as: Air Pollution fund $58,087; Carl Moyer program $638,735; Community Air Protection $317,356; EPA/IRA grant $357,992; farmer program $21,693; a geothermal-related line $995; PM2.5 monitoring $79,548; prescribed burn smoke management $177,966; and wood smoke reduction $473,706. Chief Fiscal Officer Diane Collier was identified as the staff member who assembled the budget materials.

Why it matters: staff warned the board that some historic revenue sources have declined or disappeared, and that the district has been using grant funding and existing fund balances to maintain programs. That context frames the upcoming adoption hearing, where the board will be asked to formally adopt spending and reserves for the year ahead.

During discussion, staff said geothermal-related revenue that previously contributed to the district's finances has effectively ended: permits were relinquished and wells capped following legal and permitting disputes, and the district does not expect further fees from that source. Staff said the Carl Moyer program has leftover funds from prior years; that program typically provides roughly $200,000 per year without local matching requirements, and staff expects remaining Carl Moyer funds to be spent down this fiscal year on projects to replace higher-emission tractors and equipment.

Board members and staff discussed limits to electrification in rural areas, with staff noting range and charging availability constrain adoption of electric equipment for farming and remote operations; the district is also prioritizing other lower-emission options such as Tier 4 diesel engines and propane conversions where appropriate. Staff said geothermal potential still exists in parts of the county but that permitting and capital costs would be substantial.

A board member asked about the district's reserve policy; staff responded the district does not currently have a formal reserve policy. Staff framed the district as fiscally constrained and reliant on grant funding and special program revenues to support staffing and program delivery, and said those funding dynamics make long-term planning difficult.

The board also approved two sets of minutes later in the meeting by unanimous vote.

What happens next: the board will hold the public hearing to adopt the Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District fiscal year 2025'26 budget on Sept. 9, 2025, at which time testimony and a formal adoption vote will occur. Staff identified Diane Collier as the district's chief fiscal officer for follow-up questions and Wendy as the clerk responsible for posting hearing materials.

Attribution and source notes: statements in this article are taken from the district meeting record and the staff budget presentation. Direct wording of the scheduled-motion was read aloud during the meeting: "The recommended motion is to set a separate public hearing not less than 2 weeks from today, that would be scheduled on 09/09/2025, to adopt the Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District's fiscal year 2025-2026 budget pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 40131." The reading was made by a staff member during the meeting.