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County agency presentations flag library and airport shortfalls, sanitation zone rate pressure
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Summary
Community Development and Information & General Services officials warned of declining revenue in several program areas: library Measure A sustainability concerns, airport revenue shortfalls tied to fuel sales, and sanitation-zone fund imbalances that may require rate adjustments.
Multiple county agencies used the workshop to raise funding and service risks in areas that may require board attention this budget cycle.
Tricia Tilson, director of the Community Development Agency (CDA), reviewed six CDA departments and said development activity and grant funding have softened; staff plan to use some fund balance for mandated planning updates and will return with specific grant and fee analyses. The planning and building divisions reported lower permit volumes for larger projects while routine permit activity (remodels, roofing) remained steady.
Information & General Services Director Craig Griesbach said the county's airport has a structural-revenue problem—fuel sales, particularly large users such as CAL FIRE in active seasons, drive revenue volatility. Griesbach and supervisors discussed short- and long-term measures including user‑fee adjustments, hangar leases and exploring general‑fund bridging loans while an airport ad hoc works on sustainability options.
Library officials and supervisors stressed Measure A (a dedicated library sales-tax measure) renewals and future staffing assumptions; the Measure A revenue stream is set to expire in 2031 and staff are planning outreach and cost-control options to avoid sharp service reductions.
Sanitation District staff reported uneven zone fund balances. Lake Wildwood and Lake Of The Pines have made recent system investments, but smaller zones such as Cascade Shores are not covering operating and maintenance with current rates. Staff said a rate and impact-fee analysis will be brought to the board later this year; options under consideration include targeted fee adjustments, interconnections, or seeking state funding for large projects.
Why it matters: these program-level shortfalls are not limited to a single department and illustrate how limited local revenue and declining dedicated funds can cascade into deferred maintenance, potential service reductions, and future rate requests that the board will need to consider during budget adoption and separate rate processes.
Next steps: agency staff will return with fee and rate studies (sanitation impact-fee analysis; airport ad hoc recommendations), Measure A renewal planning for libraries, and grant‑seeking strategies for recreation and resilience projects.
