Plumas County’s Board of Supervisors on June 30 adopted a preliminary recommended budget for fiscal year 2025–26 to allow county operations, capital projects and debt payments to continue while staff finalize the recommended budget for adoption in October.

Marty, the county budget officer, told the board that the preliminary budget “gives the county the authority to spend as we complete the recommended budget to be adopted by October second of 20 25.” The presentation described capital-improvement projects, required debt-service payments, and use of more than $9,000,000 in general fund balance in the preliminary plan.

Marty said the preliminary budget includes a General Fund contribution totaling $1,700,000 to cover specific debt-service payments tied to the Plumas County Annex Building and recent lease and leaseback financing for the county’s energy project. She also reported that the county paid $277,787 up front for new budgeting software (OpenGov) and that federal-in-lieu payments for the year totaled $764,965, an increase of $31,157 from the prior year.

Board members and staff repeatedly stressed that the preliminary budget is a temporary authorization and that the budget team will meet with departments over the summer to reduce reliance on fund balance before the final adoption. A board member urged departments to “work smarter” to avoid repeated use of one-time fund balance and to protect reserves, which staff said are intended to cover approximately two months of operations.

Speakers also warned that the county faces several longer-term fiscal pressures: reduced Secure Rural Schools and timber receipts since the Dixie fire, uncertainty about federal program funding, potential changes to Medicaid eligibility, and increased unfunded pension liabilities. County staff said they are working with finance consultants and lending partners to explore options related to debt service and the energy project; however, those potential changes were not included in the preliminary budget as adopted.

Multiple board members requested greater engagement by supervisors with department staff to better understand audit activity, the payroll conversion and other implementation challenges. The board adopted the preliminary budget following a motion and roll-call vote.

The preliminary adoption allows county spending to continue for the next three months but does not lock in final allocations; staff told the board the final recommended budget will be developed and returned for adoption on or before Oct. 2, 2025.