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Board trims CEO budget, removes $51,700 Justice and Gender consultant contract
Summary
After public comment and debate, supervisors approved the CEO—s proposed county budget but directed the removal of a $51,700 consultant contract that had funded the Justice and Gender Commission consultant. The CEO—s office said it cut more than $700,000 in outside professional services to reduce general‑fund pressures.
The Board of Supervisors approved the County Executive Office—s proposed budget for fiscal 2025–26 on June 3 but removed a $51,700 consultant contract that would have funded a contractor providing dedicated staffing support to the Justice and Gender (JAG) Commission.
Melody Cerino, deputy chief administrative officer, explained the office-wide cost‑containment directive that prompted the change. "As part of our cost containment efforts in our budget, decisions were made to reduce over $700,000 worth of professional services from the CEO budget," Cerino told the board. She said the cuts included reductions in outside counsel, training, polling and several consultant contracts, and that JAG—s stipend for commissioners would not be affected.
Supervisor debate and vote Supervisor Cummings said he initially pulled the item for additional consideration but later participated in the adoption of the CEO budget. After discussion the board adopted the CEO package without the consultant contract: the clerk recorded a roll call that showed the motion carried with one recorded no vote. The clerk later noted the board will ask staff to work with JAG and the commission to continue its work using internal staffing support and to revisit needs during the next budget cycle.
What this means Board approval of the budget allows departments to begin implementation of adopted spending levels. The CEO office said internal staff will continue to support the JAG Commission—s quarterly meetings and that the commission—s stipends and subcommittee work may continue under county staff facilitation while the board and staff assess longer‑term resourcing.
Why it matters The vote illustrates the tradeoffs supervisors are weighing at the start of a fiscal year brought into sharper focus by state and federal uncertainty. The board and the CEO cited the need to equitably reduce outside professional services across county departments while preserving core program funding and commission stipends.
