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Dental Board flags structural imbalance and plans fee increases after $3M reversion and scheduled loan repayment
Summary
Staff reported $17.96M in FY expenditures, about $3M reverted to the Dental Board Fund and a $5M general‑fund loan from the 2020 budget act is scheduled for repayment; executive staff said a structural imbalance requires future fee increases, with regulatory fee proposals expected in February.
The Dental Board of California heard a budget update on Nov. 7 that highlighted a reversion of roughly $3 million to the board’s fund, a scheduled repayment of a $5 million general‑fund loan taken in 2020, and a structural imbalance that staff say will likely require fee increases.
Wilbert Rambala, administrative services unit manager, reported the board spent $17,957,569 in the previous fiscal year — roughly $10 million for personnel and $8 million for operating expenses — and reverted approximately $3 million. He also reviewed control‑section actions in the budget process and said an initial proposal to eliminate four positions was narrowed to one position pending further review.
Executive Officer Tracy Montez told the board that, as vacancies fall and expenditures rise, the board will need to pursue regulatory fee increases to maintain staffing and operations. Montez said staff plan to bring a fee proposal to the February board meeting and will coordinate with stakeholders; she emphasized the board remains special‑funded and does not draw from the general fund.
Board members asked for clarification on the $5 million loan referenced in the materials. Rambala and Montez confirmed the loan taken in the 2020 budget act is scheduled to be repaid this fiscal year and that loan repayment is accounted for in future fee or regulatory proposals. Board members discussed timing and whether repayment must occur before raising fees; staff repeated that loan repayment is a condition in regulatory language.
Board members also discussed the effect of budget reductions and noted the Department of Consumer Affairs will release the governor’s budget on Jan. 10, 2025, which may affect final numbers. Montez said a fee increase agenda item will be developed with stakeholder input and brought back for board consideration in February.
