El Dorado County supervisors approve FY 2025–26 recommended budget, create ad hoc and direct cuts to take‑home vehicle program
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Summary
After a public hearing marked by union and taxpayer warnings, the Board of Supervisors approved the county's FY 2025'26 recommended budget and authorized personnel and budget actions while directing staff to seek further take-home vehicle reductions before final adoption in September.
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on April 29 approved the chief administrative office's recommended FY 2025'26 budget, including personnel allocation changes and the creation of a fiscal-year 2026'27 budget ad hoc committee, while directing staff to return with additional reductions to the county's take-home vehicle program before the adopted budget is finalized.
The hearing focused on a recommended budget the CAO said balances required spending across all funds while trimming appropriations. Sue Hennecke, chief administrative officer, summarized the package and the board's multi-month process. "We have accomplished that today," Hennecke said, describing the recommended plan as a conservative set of assumptions intended to meet the county's legal duty to adopt a balanced budget.
Why it matters: The presentation showed total appropriations across all funds of about $1.2 billion and a general fund budget of roughly $409 million; the CAO's office reported a departmental net county cost of about $203 million and projected roughly $48.3 million in reserves and designations at the end of FY 2025'26. The package includes a proposed reduction of approximately 39.2 full-time equivalent positions (11 of those filled), and several reclassifications and one-time adjustments intended to preserve core services while meeting policy targets.
During public comment, speakers pressed the board from different angles. Gina Posey of the Taxpayers Association said the recommended budget relied too heavily on one-time draws and urged deeper expense cuts before adoption. "This strategy will not fix the budget issues," Posey said. Labor leaders urged restraint on layoffs. "Firing filled positions today when there's a clear fix ... is a choice you all have to make," said Jen Romaldi, president of the County Employees Association Local 1. Auditor Joe Harn warned the board the picture could deteriorate further and said, "This is a distasteful budget," adding that acting now is preferable to a worse scenario later.
Board action and next steps: The board voted 5'0'00 to approve the recommended budget package (the item listed as Agenda Item 45), appointed two supervisors to a FY 2026'27 budget ad hoc committee and directed staff to return on Sept. 23, 2025 with proposed amendments for adoption. The board also added an instruction (the motion's "#10") directing staff to attempt further reductions in the number of take-home vehicles before the adopted budget comes back in September.
What the budget does and does not do: The CAO said most non-discretionary costs remain and that departments pared services and fixed-asset purchases where feasible. The presentation noted slower discretionary revenue growth, changing property tax trends, and continued exposure to state and federal mandate costs as drivers of the package. The board discussed using reserves cautiously and assigned the ad hoc to continue work on longer-term revenue options and cost containment.
The board adopted the recommended budget by roll call (5'0''00) and closed the budget hearing. Staff will return with final numbers and any proposed changes in September for the adopted FY 2025'26 budget.
