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Madera County adopts $578.4 million 2025–26 budget, leaves small operating shortfall
Summary
The Madera County Board of Supervisors approved a $578,436,287 operating budget for fiscal year 2025–26 on a 5–0 roll call. The plan reduces funded positions, keeps public safety the largest discretionary share and leaves a modest projected operating deficit and a very low year-end reserve unless the county taps LATCF funds.
The Madera County Board of Supervisors on Monday adopted a proposed operating budget of $578,436,287 for fiscal year 2025–26 after a public hearing and department-by-department presentations.
The board voted 5–0 to approve the plan; Supervisors Rogers, Porteous, Womack, McCauley and Chair Gonzales voted yes. Supervisor Rogers moved to approve the fiscal budget; a second was not specified in the hearing record.
Why it matters: County leaders said the budget narrows a multiyear deficit but leaves limited flexibility. Jay Varney, Madera County chief administrative officer, told the board the budget reflects an overall increase of just over $47 million across all county funds and that projected county revenues for the year will be “just a touch over $108,000,000.” Varney said the county still faces revenue headwinds from weak sales-tax growth and lower agricultural property values.
Key figures: The proposed budget recommends funding 1,754.75 full‑time equivalent positions, a net decrease of 22.25 funded positions and an unfunding of 41 positions overall; county officials said those positions are currently vacant and no layoffs will be triggered. The proposed operating deficit is $1.2 million; conservative assumptions about salary savings put the projected year‑end deficit at about $748,000 and an estimated ending fund balance reserve of $319,000.
Public safety, retiree health costs and special revenues: County administration said discretionary revenues remain concentrated in public safety, which receives about 73% of discretionary funding. Staff also flagged rising retiree‑health premiums as a primary driver of increased costs, noting a year‑over‑year retiree health premium increase of about $1.1 million tied in part to recent federal changes. The budget also reflects timing differences in election reimbursements and a near‑$700,000 reversion on CalFire cooperative agreement charges after a one‑time state infusion in the prior year.
LATCF and reserves: Joel Begay, county administrative staff, highlighted a $4.1 million LATCF allocation the county is holding. Begay said the funds — authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and restricted from use for lobbying — may be used to offset a deficit if the board chooses, but they are accounted for as a special‑revenue fund rather than general‑fund reserve.
Votes at a glance: - Action: Adopt final budgets, including general fund, special revenues and special districts for FY 2025–26 - Motion: Moved by Supervisor Rogers; second: not specified in the hearing record - Vote: Rogers — yes; Porteous — yes; Womack — yes; McCauley — yes; Chair Gonzales — yes - Outcome: Approved (5–0)
What’s next: County staff left the public hearings open for the special‑district budgets until the 1 p.m. session concluded and said formal adoption of all budget components follows the hearing process. Staff also indicated they will continue quarterly revenue monitoring, departmental hiring freezes and ongoing outreach to explore additional efficiencies.
Sources: Presentations and remarks by Jay Varney and Joel Begay during the Madera County Board of Supervisors budget hearing on June 9, 2025.
