Inyo County adopts modified FY25–26 budget as preliminary FY26–27 budget

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors on June 9 adopted the county's modified fiscal year 2025–26 board‑approved budget as the preliminary budget for fiscal year 2026–27.

Auditor‑Controller Amy Shepherd told the board the preliminary budget is a routine step that rolls the prior board‑approved budget forward while removing some items (fixed assets, equipment and certain operating transfers) and adding back only those amounts necessary to cover work that must continue before the final budget is adopted. Shepherd said the preliminary budget is intentionally conservative and departments are held to object‑code level controls during the interim period.

The action gives county departments the necessary appropriations to keep projects and operations running from July through the board's final adoption of the FY26–27 budget, typically in September. Shepherd noted a duplication error in the packet that added some lines twice; she said the duplicate entries do not increase appropriations and that staff corrected the record before the vote.

Supervisor Griffiths moved the measure and Supervisor Rosier seconded. The board voted to approve the preliminary budget and the recommended fixed assets for the interim period.

The preliminary adoption preserves continuity for capital projects and essential services while staff and departments finalize project‑level requests and the board conducts public budget hearings ahead of final adoption.

The board recorded the motion as carrying at the meeting; the auditor‑controller will return with the final adopted budget and any related budget hearings later in the fiscal cycle.