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Board tentatively increases public‑safety funding amid debate over Prop 172 allocations
Summary
The Board tentatively approved the public protection service group with a recommended increase in public safety funding while discussing Prop 172 revenue distribution, sheriff reductions implemented through rebalancing, and upcoming KPMG operational reviews.
County staff recommended a $26.5 million (12%) increase to the public protection service group and a $22.4 million (17%) rise in general‑fund support for that group as part of the FY25–26 recommended budget.
Lisa Howe said the rebalancing initiative produced selected reductions across public protection fund centers while still increasing overall funding for the functional group. "There's a general fund support increase recommended of 22,400,000," she said. The board heard detailed presentations for the sheriff's office, county fire, district attorney, and probation.
Sarah Hayter, administrative analyst for the sheriff's office, outlined a recommended fund center total of $128.5 million, noting that general‑fund support would be about $80.9 million (a 17% increase) and that the recommended staffing reflected a net decrease of 12 FTE to 453.5. Hayter said rebalancing reduced the department's general‑fund request by $2.7 million through deletion of 13 FTEs across sworn and civilian ranks.
Supervisors pressed staff on the role of Prop 172 funding — a voter‑approved 0.5¢ sales tax that counties receive for public safety. Staff said the county historically split Prop 172 among the sheriff, county fire, district attorney and probation using a percentage tied to original general‑fund shares; the county receives roughly $35 million annually in Prop 172 revenue. Several supervisors urged a future KPMG study into allocation practices and stronger performance measures to guide future funding choices.
The board took tentative approval of the public protection package after discussion and public comments on performance targets and staffing priorities.
