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Amador County staff warn of $3.1 million FY 2627 shortfall; board weighs cuts and staff directives
Summary
County staff told supervisors the FY 2627 general-fund gap is roughly $3.1 million, citing rising PERS and insurance costs and flat sales tax. The board directed departments to propose 5% general‑fund reductions and asked staff to organize workshops with public safety departments.
County budget staff presented a stark picture of fiscal pressure at the Amador County Board of Supervisors’ March 24 meeting, saying the proposed FY 2627 general-fund gap stood at roughly $3.1 million.
At a budget update, the county’s presenter said departments’ budgets were just submitted and the county has directed a 5% reduction in general‑fund net cost per department to help close the gap. He told supervisors that sales tax projections are flat while property tax is expected to rise about 2.5%, roughly $750,000 to the general fund, but that increases in PERS and health insurance were outpacing those gains.
“PERS in and of itself is going up by half a million to a million, and health insurance is going up by about $400,000 — and our insurance folks just gave us a revised projection that doubles that,” the budget presenter said, describing the combination of cost pressures and dwindling carryover reserves.
The presentation listed several nonnegotiable expenditures—public works maintenance‑of‑effort tied to gas tax, Health & Human Services functions, and energy‑loan payments for solar projects—that limit choices for cuts. The presenter recommended structural departmental reductions and asked whether the board wanted a standing budget committee or other direction.
Supervisors pressed for options. One suggested reworking across‑the‑board COLA treatment during hard years so that raises could be rescinded uniformly rather than staffing being reduced largely among junior employees. Another urged scrutiny of discretionary community allocations and economic-development supports. The board directed staff to convene department heads for targeted meetings and scheduled a budget workshop; public safety departments will be included in an April 28 regular meeting and a May 5 budget workshop to review public‑safety costs and savings proposals.
No final cuts were adopted March 24; supervisors said they wanted department‑level justifications and usage statistics ahead of any decisions. The board also asked departments to return with details that justify take‑home vehicles, out‑of‑county mileage, and other recurring costs as part of the broader budget review.
The county will present revised revenue and expenditure scenarios to the board at upcoming budget workshops and is seeking a mix of department reductions and structural changes to avoid deeper long‑term reserve draws.
