San Bernardino County adopts $10.5 billion 2025–26 budget, boosts homeless services and hospital funding

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on June 10 unanimously approved the county’s $10.5 billion recommended budget for fiscal year 2025–26, with board members and staff highlighting new one‑time allocations for homelessness, wildfire prevention and infrastructure reserves.

County Chief Financial Officer Matthew Erickson presented the plan, saying the recommended budget totals about $10.5 billion and includes a mix of one‑time and ongoing resources. “We published our budget book, our recommended budget book, which incorporated the entire conversation of our $10,500,000,000 budget,” Erickson said.

The nut of the plan reallocated previously proposed additional retirement contributions and other one‑time funds. Erickson told the board the package includes a previously identified $205 million in new general‑fund investments (largely one‑time), roughly $15.6 million in newly proposed ongoing spending, and reallocated one‑time dollars: $7.5 million for board priority programs, $7.5 million for a wildfire prevention reserve, $3 million for an infrastructure reserve oriented to road improvements, and $2 million to an existing community services upgrade reserve. The administration also proposed that $150,000 of a tourism allocation be used for broader tourism purposes.

Board members and the administration framed the changes as prudent given market volatility. Luther, the county chief executive, explained insurance and…