Sonoma County board adopts $2.9 billion budget, restores behavioral‑health and emergency teams

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously June 12 to adopt a fiscal year 2026–27 budget that county staff said totals about $2.9 billion in first‑year programming and adds roughly 64 positions.

The board’s action, approved by roll call, implements staff and board decisions made during earlier deliberations and includes restorations and one‑time investments meant to shore up emergency and infrastructure needs. “We are excited to bring forward to you today a budget for adoption,” the county executive told the board, framing the package as addressing immediate needs for vulnerable residents while preserving flexibility for uncertain state and federal changes.

County Deputy Executive Peter Brueland laid out several specific allocations: restoration of an additional CAPE (Crisis, Assessment, Prevention and Education) team using Measure O funds to bring the program to five teams; one‑time funding of $8,200,000 for two disaster road projects (Wohler/Waller Slide and the Giovannetti culvert upgrade) that are not FEMA‑eligible; and $50,000 in one‑time funding for a farmworker needs survey. Brueland also said the adopted budget reflects the portion of multi‑year funding programmed for the first year and authorizes roughly 4,456.66 positions and 30 additional dual fills in human services.

“We approved an additional $8,200,000 in one‑time funding toward Waller Slide and Giovannetti culvert upgrade road projects,” Brueland said, explaining the figure reflected updated estimates and bid openings.

The board also approved non‑substantive edits to the concurrent resolution adopting the budget and to the Prop 4 appropriation limits resolution to clarify the list of entities governed by the board and to add the term “directors” where appropriate, County Counsel noted.

Public commenters and county staff urged the board during the hearing to preserve funding for the Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) and other behavioral‑health programs. Several clinicians described CSU as a front‑line alternative to emergency departments and inpatient stays and said cuts would shift costs to hospitals and law enforcement; the board incorporated add‑backs for CSU and CAEP (Crisis Assessment, Engagement and Prevention) staffing in the package.

Supervisors stressed the budget is a patchwork responding to federal and state changes and said staff will return in November with updates tied to the state budget and year‑end results. The motions to adopt the budget passed on voice and roll‑call vote with affirmatives recorded from Supervisors Rabbit, Corsi, Gore, Hopkins and Chair Hermosillo.

The board will reconvene in November to review fund balances and outstanding unfunded items and to consider longer‑term options, such as renewing Measure O to sustain some programs beyond one year.