Supervisors require departments to present up to 10% budget cut options as county prepares a balanced proposed budget

Mendocino County supervisors voted 3–2 on May 20 to ask every office and department to present options showing up to 10% reductions to their proposed budget requests as the executive office prepares a balanced proposed budget for publication.

Supervisor John Williams said the request is intended to provide options and transparency so the executive office and the board can weigh alternatives instead of imposing uniform cuts without department input. Acting Assistant CEO Sarah Pierce said a set of retention calculations and a 6% figure had already been conservatively applied across 1,000‑series budget lines and that the executive office submitted a balanced proposed budget to the auditor the night before using limited one‑time funds.

Several department heads warned of real operational impacts. Sheriff Matt Bridal said a 10% cut to the sheriff’s office (approximately $2.8 million) would largely fall on salaries and overtime and would degrade coverage; Chief Probation Officer Aizen Locatelli said juvenile hall staffing is already constrained and mandated shifts would force overtime and degrade services.

Supervisor Mulhern and Supervisor Norvell both dissented when the motion to require up‑to‑10% scenarios was called; Mulhern said the approach risked causing harm and appeared to favor a “throw‑it‑at‑the‑wall” method rather than a strategic plan to eliminate reliance on one‑time funds. The motion carried with supervisors Cline, Hashek and Williams voting in favor; Mulhern and Norvell voted no.

The board will receive the proposed budget published by the executive office and conduct budget hearings on June 3–4; staff said the request for departmental scenarios would inform possible swaps and alternatives between the initial draft and any revised proposed budget to be returned to the board later.