San Benito County introduces FY 2025–26 recommended budget, sets June 9 public hearing amid questions over a structural deficit

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors on May 29 received the county’s recommended fiscal year 2025–26 budget and scheduled a public hearing to begin June 9 in the board chambers. Interim County Administrative Officer Henny Green and Budget Officer Dulce Alonzo presented the recommended budget, which staff said closes a structural deficit through a mix of long-term reductions, position deletions and one-time funds while scheduling further work with consultants Baker Tilly.

Henny Green, the interim CAO, told the board the budget review identified “the general fund budget had a significant structural deficit.” The recommended government-wide appropriations totaled about $339.4 million compared with $331.8 million a year earlier, staff said. The general fund appropriation in the recommendation was presented at about $107.5 million compared with roughly $117.8 million in FY 2024–25.

Staff said the recommended budget combines approximately $18 million in long-term reductions with about $34.4 million in short-term balancing strategies. Key measures cited in the presentation included deleting and unfunding vacant positions (the recommendation proposed reducing the county’s full-time equivalent count from roughly 665.6 FTE to about 585.3 FTE, a reduction of about 80.3 FTE), proposed unfunding of four sworn positions in the sheriff’s office, and using carryovers and one-time funds to smooth the gap.

The presentation listed capital and project carryovers: about $3.854 million in capital projects and roughly $6.049 million in road project carryovers, for combined general fund carryovers staff described as about $9.9 million. Staff also described a reduction in general fund contingency to a projected 0.9% level as near-term pressure to be addressed in subsequent months.

Department-level highlights included a proposed $1.9 million increase in IT for hardware and software licensing; a proposed reduction in the library expansion project from $14.9 million to $9.1 million pending negotiation with the state; a transfer of roughly $7.9 million from the general fund to cover road projects (including a $6.4 million carryover and $1 million new allocation); and a proposed $2.85 million increase in general fund contribution to county fire operations. Staff also said Proposition 172 allocations would be placed directly into operating budgets for eligible departments rather than held in a central account.

Multiple supervisors and members of the public pressed staff for more work before final adoption. Supervisors said they had found inconsistencies between the recommended budget numbers and year-end projections for FY 2024–25 and that some department budgets appeared to rise despite recommended cuts. The board noted that by law an introduction must be made by May 30, but members said consultants Baker Tilly and the auditor’s office should work with the ad hoc budget group to reconcile the numbers for the June 9 hearing and follow-up sessions.

Public commenters raised several concerns: an in‑chambers commenter urged the board to examine contracting versus in‑house options for legal services and questioned the fiscal analysis supporting contracting; Shirley Murphy, a deputy county counsel speaking personally, cited Government Code provisions she said limit outsourcing and raised conflict-of-interest concerns; another department head said staff feared layoffs and appealed to supervisors to preserve positions. Commenters also urged leaders to consider salary and benefit reductions by elected officials and to protect county staff.

After extended discussion, the board voted to schedule a public hearing on the recommended FY 2025–26 budget to begin Monday, June 9, 2025, in the Board Chambers at 9 a.m. The motion passed on a roll-call vote called at the meeting.