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Siskiyou County supervisors adopt FY 2026–27 budget principles including measure to remove long-vacant positions
Summary
Facing an estimated $6 million shortfall, the Board of Supervisors adopted FY 2026–27 budget principles and a calendar that add a policy to delete county positions vacant 12 months or more; the board discussed alternatives such as freezing vacancies and emphasized economic development as a longer-term response.
The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors approved the FY 2026–27 Budget Principles and calendar on March 3, adopting a new Principle No. 10 to delete county positions that have remained vacant for 12 months or longer.
Chief Fiscal Officer Sherry Lawson told the board the county estimated an approximate $6 million deficit in the General Fund for fiscal year 2025–26 and planned to balance that gap with available fund balance and one-time revenues as of the June 30 fiscal year end. Lawson presented the mid‑year budget overview and explained the proposed addition to the principles to address long-term vacancies as a cost-saving measure.
Board members questioned the fiscal and operational differences between deleting positions and freezing them. County Administrator Angela Davis and Lawson discussed efforts to identify other balancing approaches before adjusting staffing levels and noted the county’s interest in pursuing economic development to strengthen the long-term fiscal outlook.
The motion to adopt the FY 2026–27 Budget Principles and the FY 2026–27 Budget Calendar carried on a roll call vote with Supervisors Ed Valenzuela, Nancy Ogren, Jess Harris and Chair Ray A. Haupt voting YES; Supervisor Michael N. Kobseff was absent.
The action sets policy direction for staff as the county prepares its next budget and signals an early preference for eliminating positions vacant more than a year rather than temporarily freezing them, although the board’s discussion included consideration of both approaches. The county estimated that one-time resources and fund balance would be used to cover the current-year shortfall; the board did not adopt specific staff reductions at the March 3 meeting.
