Ventura County APCD holds public hearing on proposed FY2025–26 budget; agency projects $9.9 million operating appropriation

The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District presented its proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget during a public hearing at the board’s June 10, 2025, meeting. The district requested board approval of the proposed budget but did not adopt it at the session; adoption was scheduled for a later meeting.

Ali Gassami, identified in the record as the APCD executive officer, summarized the proposed budget and supporting slides. The presentation said the proposed operating appropriation for the district’s primary operating fund (Fund 700) is about $9.9 million and estimated operating revenue is about $9.4 million, producing a preliminary net district cost of roughly $579,000. The staff presentation also described a pass-through grants fund with roughly $10.2 million in appropriations and matching revenue; those funds are shown to be passed through to applicants or vendors.

The presentation said the budget accounts for roughly 49 full-time-equivalent positions overall and that the operating fund portion includes 45 full-time employees plus eight extra-help positions. The presenter described the district’s beginning fund balance for FY2025–26 as more than $11 million and estimated an unassigned fund balance of about $10 million after assigned set-asides.

Staff said proposed one-time expenditures and set-asides account for part of the net cost: about $300,000 in contingency and $50,000 for property improvements were noted, and the presentation listed $500,000 set aside for mobile-source incentive projects funded by DMV fees (identified in the presentation as AB 27 66). The slides shown in the meeting also referenced funding from federal grants (EPA 103 and 105 grants), state sources and permitting revenue; the presentation said roughly 31–32% of revenue comes from permitting and that federal grants account for about 18.5% of revenue. The presenter flagged that federal EPA funding could be reduced under the federal budget proposal and said the district faces uncertainty over whether local grant allocations will be affected.

Gassami said the district had begun accepting applications for the Carl Moyer and related incentive grants and that about $4 million was expected to be available in the county this year under those programs. He described planned investments in monitoring equipment, a modernization of the permitting system, vehicle fleet replacement and other capital items. The presentation noted the district expects some Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grant funding to support equipment and staffing in the coming year.

Board members questioned the presenter on fee adjustments, the timing of fee studies and the source and stability of federal grants. Supervisor Veer and other board members asked for clarification about projected fines revenue and the $500,000 set-aside for mobile-source projects. The presenter said the fines estimate was based on historical records and that the mobile-source money must be used for vehicle-related projects.

The board closed the public hearing; no final budget adoption occurred at the meeting. The record notes budget adoption was set for a subsequent meeting (the clerk referenced June 24 for a related item).