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San Luis Obispo supervisors adopt FY 2024–25 budget after debates over reserves, roads and program priorities
Summary
After public testimony about a washed-out low-water crossing and extensive board deliberations on reserves and SB 10 90 funds, the Board of Supervisors adopted the recommended FY 2024–25 budget (as amended), recording four votes for and one against on final adoption.
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors on June 3 held a full-day budget hearing and voted to adopt the recommended fiscal year 2024–25 budget as amended by actions taken during the hearing.
The administrative office framed the recommended spending levels as the result of months of work balancing department requests with board priorities amid state budget uncertainty. County Administrative Officer Lisa Howe told the board the recommended package contemplates governmental funds spending in the mid‑hundreds of millions and will likely require a return in September for final adjustments once the state budget is finalized.
Board members and staff highlighted a structural shortfall of about $15.6 million that the recommended budget addresses with a mix of one‑time and ongoing reductions. Rebecca Campbell, assistant CAO, said staff closed the gap with about 52 percent one‑time measures and 48 percent longer‑term reductions, while preserving first‑tier priorities such as homelessness and mental‑health investments.
Supervisors amended several service‑group allocations during the hearing. Notable adjustments included targeted restorations for the assessor’s office after the assessor warned cuts would delay the property tax roll and increase costly manual revisions; SB 10 90 economic‑development allocations to support local initiatives; and modest restorations to parks and aquatics operations to preserve public programming.
The hearing also recorded votes on each service group and final adoption of the overall recommended and supplemental budget documents. In a roll call on the final resolution the result was four votes in favor and one opposed: Supervisors Gibson, Paushon, Ortiz‑Lehi and Paulding voted yes; Chair Arnold voted no.
The board directed staff to finalize the resolutions and technical documents to reflect the amendments made during the hearing and to return with any required additional budget adjustments in September after the state’s final actions.
What happens next: staff will prepare the formal resolutions reflecting the board’s amendments and calendar the legal adoption steps; the board expects a mid‑year update and a final adoption session in September when the county’s true fund balance and state budget impacts are known.
Speakers whose remarks are quoted in this article are identified in board proceedings and belong to the official speaker list from the hearing.
