Yolo County adopts FY 2025-26 balanced budget, approves staffing cuts in HHSA amid Oakdale fire costs

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved the county's adopted budget for fiscal year 2025-26 during a public hearing on Sept. 23, moving to balance projected shortfalls while setting aside funds for costs tied to the Oakdale fire and adopting several administrative staffing reductions in Health and Human Services.

County Chief Financial Officer Tom Haines told the board the adopted budget is balanced and that general-purpose revenues rose slightly, driven mainly by property-tax growth. Haines said the county met its prior fund-balance estimate and ended the prior year with about $9.88 million in unassigned general-fund balance, but cautioned that the county's fund balance has declined for several years and remains below policy targets.

The budget directs $750,000 from county sources for direct costs tied to the Oakdale fire response (security, fencing, debris removal and similar expenses) and budgets $964,000 for district attorney investigations related to that incident, mainly to hire temporary staff to backfill prosecutors and investigators dedicated to the case. Staff said roughly $500,000 in…