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Q3 budget: $4.7M projected general-fund surplus, but sheriff overtime drives $10.1M deficit
Summary
County budget staff projected a $4.7 million general-fund surplus at fiscal year-end but flagged a $10.1 million shortfall in the Sheriff’s Office — largely overtime — and a projected $2.5 million deficit in social services funds; the sheriff said structural staffing shortfalls have driven repeated overtime usage.
Budget staff presented the county’s FY 2025–26 third-quarter update on June 9, reporting a projected $4.7 million positive general-fund position driven by stronger property-tax and interest income. At the same time, the Sheriff’s Office projects a $10.1 million deficit primarily attributable to overtime, and Social Services projects a $2.5 million shortfall in certain funds.
Katrina Fernandez, principal analyst, told the board that the general-revenue department was showing about an $11.4 million favorable variance compared with the adjusted budget. But the sheriff’s overtime and extra-help costs — coupled with lower-than-expected salary savings because vacancy rates have declined — produced the larger deficit.
Sheriff Bill Brown addressed the board by Zoom and emphasized operational realities in the jail and patrol operations. He said the department has long faced a structural staffing shortfall, particularly in the jails, and that filling positions can temporarily increase overtime expenses because new staff need training and cannot immediately offset overtime hours worked by more senior staff. He outlined year‑by‑year overtime spending for context and asked the board to consider the structural causes of repeated overtime demand.
The county executive and department heads will return with corrective budget revisions and recommended actions on June 23 to address the sheriff and social-services shortfalls. The auditor’s office has been preparing monthly audit-style reports on overtime; staff said the next such report would come to the board either on June 23 or at the first July hearing.
Public comment: Laura Robinson asked the board to consider using a small portion of the projected year-end surplus to fund a targeted voluntary separation incentive program (VSIP) for employees at risk of layoff, noting VSIPs can reduce layoffs’ human impacts and be cost‑effective long term.
Why it matters: The sheriff’s overtime shortfall represents a multi‑million dollar recurring fiscal pressure and underscores how staffing levels, training cycles, and jail operations interact with budget forecasting. The board must decide whether to absorb costs, identify permanent offsets, or take structural workforce and operational steps.
Next steps: CEO, sheriff, and social-services staff will return to the board with a budget revision and options for balancing the fiscal year, and auditor’s overtime reports will continue on an adjusted timeline.
