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Board approves $81.3 million in one-time allocations from 2023–24 general fund surplus
Summary
The Board voted 5-0 to allocate the June 30, 2024 available general fund balance of $81.3 million to reserves, parks, airport planning, zoo planning and other one-time capital needs as recommended by the County Administrator’s Office.
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Jan. 14 to allocate the county’s fiscal year 2023–24 available general fund balance of $81.3 million to a set of one-time reserves and capital funds recommended by the County Administrator’s Office.
Chief Deputy County Administrator Jennifer VanStein and Assistant CAO Brenda Kiley presented the year-end summary. Departments ended fiscal 2023–24 about $57.7 million under budget on operations while general-purpose revenues — notably property and sales taxes — finished about $40.2 million above budget, producing an overall savings position. After encumbrances and a previously authorized $1.9 million appropriation for a sheriff’s aircraft purchase, the CAO recommended the available balance be used only for one-time purposes.
Board-approved allocations include $10 million to restore the general reserve; $11.1 million to bring the contingency reserve up to the board policy target (five percent of adopted departmental spending authority); $9 million to create a parks capital outlay fund for master planning, security and irrigation work; $1 million to an Airport Transformative Capital Outlay Fund for an FAA-approved airport master plan; $1 million to a Mickey Grove Zoo capital outlay fund for master planning and an initial exhibit study; $5 million to an information systems automation reserve (telephony replacement); $2 million to an economic development reserve; and the remainder into the county capital outlay fund for future projects.
Why it matters: The transfers are explicitly one-time uses of surplus to replenish reserves, fund near-term capital planning and address deferred park and zoo maintenance. Departments seeking appropriations must follow budget process and return to the board with project plans or budget requests.
Board action: After presentation and brief questions from supervisors about parks and the zoo, the board voted to accept the CAO recommendation and approve the transfers, 5-0.
Ending: Staff will return with specific budget appropriation requests and project plans for items such as park security upgrades and zoo master planning; individual departments must obtain spending authority before drawing from the new funds.
