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Sonoma County officials warn HR1 changes and other cuts will strain safety‑net budgets; departments seek add‑backs
Summary
Human Services and Health Services directors told the Board their budgets will need new staffing and fund balance use to absorb federal and state policy changes ("HR1"); DHS flagged a $13M behavioral‑health structural deficit and Measure O funding cliff, and HSD requested 38 FTEs (30 dual‑fill eligibility specialists) to manage increased Medi‑Cal/CalFresh workloads.
County department leaders framed the county's budget hearings on Tuesday as a test of core safety‑net services amid federal and state policy shifts and flat local revenues. Angela Strutman, director of the Human Services Department, presented a recommended HSD budget of just over $342.5 million for FY 2026–27 and said the vast majority of that funding—about 86%—comes from state and federal sources, with a roughly $7 million planned draw from fund balance to cover one‑time costs.
Strutman outlined a personnel request tied to federal changes dubbed “HR1,” asking the Board for three years of general‑fund support for 38 FTEs largely focused on economic assistance and eligibility functions. "Our services and programs touch over 1 in 4 people in Sonoma County," she said, arguing the positions are necessary to maintain timely CalFresh and Medi‑Cal processing as workload grows.
The Board pressed staff on whether 38 positions would be sufficient. Strutman said estimates vary and depend on how many people are exempted from the new work requirements; staff are planning 30 dual‑fill eligibility specialists to provide flexibility and eight time‑limited positions, and they will monitor outcomes over the coming months.
Health Services Director Nolan Sullivan told the Board his department faces both HR1 exposure and a structural shortfall in behavioral health. "We enter today's budget cycle with a $13,000,000 structural deficit in our behavioral health teams," Sullivan said, and he warned that Measure O—an existing local tax that provides about $30 million a year for behavioral health and homeless services—will create a funding cliff if it is not renewed by 2030. Sullivan described proposed add‑backs to restore critical crisis‑response teams and contract support, and he urged the Board to give staff time to complete a multi‑year fiscal review.
Both departments emphasized tradeoffs. Strutman noted the county share of CalFresh administrative costs is rising by about $2.2 million in the coming year because of a federal funding shift; Sullivan said as Medi‑Cal caseloads fall the county loses billing revenue that pays for some services and contracts. Board members asked staff to continue scenario planning—identifying mandatory versus discretionary services, better billing and revenue capture, and options for temporary funding—while recognizing the underlying uncertainty about state and federal actions.
Next steps: staff will return with clarified estimates and options during budget hearings in June, and the Board signaled it wants to prioritize retaining frontline eligibility and behavioral‑health capacity while exploring one‑time and ongoing funding sources.
