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Supervisors consider using $7M flood‑control carryforward for targeted road and wash projects
Summary
Board members discussed the flood control district's cash carryforward and whether to redirect some of the $7 million balance toward road protection and smaller flood‑repair projects instead of large, multiyear capital projects.
Supervisors asked county staff to provide fuller detail on the flood control district's cash carryforward and discussed whether some of the district's funds could be reprioritized for road repairs and localized flood mitigation at a May 14 budget work session.
County staff reported a flood control cash carryforward of approximately $7,000,000 for the current fiscal year. Supervisors explored an option to use some of that balance for targeted projects such as culverts, swales or low‑cost erosion control measures that could address recurring flooding impacts on county roads (for example, Ocotillo Road was referenced during the discussion).
One board member proposed temporarily reducing the flood control district levy (the transcript referred to a potential reduction to 0 percent as illustrative), and noted that subtracting the levy would reduce district revenues by about $2,600,000 annually. Staff cautioned that while some carryforward can be redirected for smaller projects, larger multimillion‑dollar flood projects are being held for specific plans and that the long‑term plan and existing commitments should be taken into account.
Supervisors and staff also criticized repeated, costly hydrology or engineering studies and suggested that, where appropriate, prior work and templates be reused to avoid paying repeated, similar studies for comparable low‑complexity road or wash projects. Staff said they will provide a prioritized list of flood control projects, show carryforward and committed balances, and clarify which items could be funded without jeopardizing planned larger projects.
The board directed staff to bring back more detail on cash carryforward, existing commitments and a prioritized list of candidate projects that could be completed with available funds.
