Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Alameda County supervisors deliberate $4.5 billion FY 2024–25 budget, approve directions on shelter grants and senior services
Summary
Board of Supervisors reviewed a proposed $4.5 billion FY 2024–25 budget that closes a $68 million gap; supervisors directed staff to incorporate final adjustments, a $3.5 million ARPA shelter grant program, restoration of $2.1 million for Area Agency on Aging contracts, and extensions of key initiatives into the final budget to be adopted Thursday.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on June 25 deliberated the proposed fiscal year 2024–25 budget, a $4.5 billion spending plan the county administrator said closes a $68,000,000 funding gap and supports nearly 10,500 employees.
"The proposed budget is balanced and closes a $68,000,000 funding gap," the County Administrator said as the Board reviewed final adjustments and policy priorities. The administrator told supervisors the draft includes almost $4,000,000,000 in general-fund support for county operations and about $867,000,000 in services provided by 278 community-based providers.
Why it matters: Supervisors directed staff to fold several items into the final budget, which the Board plans to adopt at a special meeting Thursday at noon. Those directions shape near-term spending for homelessness response, senior services and multi-year capital projects.
Major items the Board asked staff to include in the final budget were: a $3,500,000 one-time shelter grant program funded with ARPA dollars aimed at preventing closures of existing emergency shelters and interim housing; restoration of $2,100,000 in funding to Area Agency on Aging (AAA) community-based providers to maintain FY 2023–24 levels; adoption of an updated five-year capital improvement plan with total estimated project costs exceeding $3,500,000,000; and extensions of Board initiatives funded by residual property tax revenue through FY 2027–28, including a three-year extension of Enhancing Vision 2026 and an additional year of the East County Economic Development Infrastructure Improvement Fund plus a one-time $5,000,000 augmentation for Enhancing Vision 2026.
Andrea Ford, Agency Director for Social Services, said county staff are preparing composite budgets and aim to issue the first shelter grant awards quickly. "I would say the first grant should go out within the next two weeks," Ford said, adding that awards will be need-based and require financial documentation from providers.
Board members emphasized the distinction between raising policy matters and making immediate budget changes: the county administrator and counsel noted that the opportunity to add items to the current budget had closed the day before, so fiscal changes requested will be incorporated into the final budget through the revision process and adopted at the scheduled special meeting.
The county administrator told the Board staff would incorporate the final budget adjustments, capital plan, shelter grant program, AAA funding restoration, and the recommended extensions and one-time augmentation into the final budget for adoption on Thursday.
The Board then recessed into closed session for separate deliberations.
