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Siskiyou supervisors warn of $10 million preliminary budget shortfall, discuss revenue and development options
Summary
Supervisors said the county's preliminary budget shows about a $10,000,000 gap and discussed longer-term revenue options including promoting private investment, exploring geothermal potential, and modest fee increases; officials said fee changes alone would not close the shortfall in one year.
Siskiyou County supervisors said the county is facing an estimated $10,000,000 shortfall in the preliminary budget and discussed possible revenue strategies at a regular meeting.
The discussion centered on longer-term options to reduce structural deficits rather than one-time fixes. Supervisors said the board is exploring ways to encourage private investment, consider modest fee increases and tourism-related taxes, and identify existing county resources that could generate revenue without major upfront county spending.
Why it matters: County leaders said the size of the deficit makes short-term fixes unlikely to cover the gap and that planning now is intended to reduce fiscal pressure next year. Officials flagged large, structural choices — from permitting-driven development to targeted promotion of local assets — as preferable to one-time maneuvers.
Supervisors noted specific local opportunities discussed informally at recent county visits and regional meetings. Those included Lake Siskiyou and potential development there, and a question about whether commercial geothermal beyond the Medicine Lake area could be feasible; speakers said the county should “open the door” to private investors rather than putting county funds up front. They also mentioned that modest fee increases or other charges would not be enough to close the entire shortfall in a single year.
Board members described a desire to identify revenue opportunities that would not require large county expenditures and emphasized the need to be “ahead of the curve” before the next budget cycle. No formal budget action or vote was taken at the meeting; staff and supervisors indicated the topic will return in future budget discussions.
Next steps: Supervisors said they will continue discussing revenue options and directed staff to provide information at upcoming budget meetings so the board can consider proposals and potential timelines.
