Board Approves $8.63 Billion County Budget
County Supervisors unanimously adopted a new $8.63 billion, balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 during a board meeting Tuesday. The budget will take effect July 1.
The Adopted budget shows an increase of $104.1 million or 1.2% from the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Adopted Budget. The new budget also decreases staffing by 191 staff years in the coming year, bringing the total number of County employees to 20,280.25 staff years.
The County reduced staffing through attrition, eliminating some vacant positions and streamlining some operations.
The Adopted Budget continues to invest in County priorities such as housing and homelessness, behavioral health, public safety, infrastructure, support for vulnerable populations and environmental sustainability.
Recognizing that changes in federal and State policies and funding could significantly impact County operations, the County will continue to monitor how shifts may affect funding streams and program mandates and consider budget adjustments as needed.
The County released a balanced, $8.62 billion Recommended Budget on May 1 that prioritized vital services and the region’s needs. That budget showed an increase of $85.8 million or 1% over the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Adopted Budget and reduced staffing by 190 positions.
The Recommended Budget limited spending compared to recent years and prioritized mandated programs as well as responsibilities in the unincorporated area where the County delivers services similar to a city.
The County released a Revised Budget, or change letter, on June 12 that incorporated feedback from the community and the Board of Supervisors. That Revised Budget added an increase of $18.3 million or 0.2% to the May 1 Recommended budget plan for a total of $8.63 billion.
The Revised Recommended Budget also decreased staffing by one additional staff year, an overall decrease of 191 staff years in the coming year, bringing the total of County employees to 20,280.25 staff years.
The Revised Budget included:
- $0.8 million for LGBTQ+ for the Innovative Housing and Supports contract
- $0.6 million increase for the Domestic Violence Shelter Based Program
- $0.5 million to extend the ¡Mas Fresco! Plus program
- $0.3 million increase for Tenant Legal Services to help tenants facing eviction
- $4.1 million increase for:
- Road improvements
- Flood control stormwater maintenance zones
- Upgrading the Keys Creek Channel in Fallbrook
- Continued efforts in the Sheriff’s Office to support the Opioid Enforcement Program and an increase of $13.2 million in grant funding to:
- Support behavioral health and pre-release services for justice involved adults
- Canine purchase and training of canine officers
- Maintain contracted services, software licenses and equipment for State and federal security
- Decrease in contracted law enforcement services
- The following activities in County Fire:
- Planning for the Descanso Fire Station upgrades and repairs
- Partnering with Cal-FIRE to explore using livestock to mitigate fire risk
- Staffing for two water tenders in the San Diego County Fire Protection District
- Continuation of drowning prevention and swim lessons programs within Parks and Recreation
The Adopted Budget incorporates the revised budget items and those in the recommended budget below:
Housing and Homelessness
- $132.1 million to help house vulnerable populations, develop affordable and supportive housing and achieve self-sufficiency for families.
- $29.4 million for 40,000 building inspections, plan reviews, mobile home safety and streamlining the development process to advance new housing.
- $15 million for the Regional Homeless Assistance Program.
- Over $6 million in grant funds remain available to help those experiencing homelessness in the San Diego Riverbed and Plaza Bonita areas.
- $3.6 million to help youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness get into permanent housing.
- $2.6 million for homeless encampment cleanup and assistance in the unincorporated area and on County property.
- $1.6 million to operate Bancroft and Magnolia Safe Parking Programs for people sleeping in their cars. A third safe parking site is planned to open temporarily in Grantville in summer 2025.
- Starting construction on 60 Troy Street Sleeping Cabins to provide emergency shelter and services to an estimated 140 people each year in the unincorporated communities.
- 16 affordable housing developments partially funded by the County are under construction regionwide. Another 18 developments are in the works.
- $500-a-month rental subsidy for nearly 400 low-income, rent-burdened older adults.
- $13.1 million increase to provide housing, including short-term rental assistance, for people with serious behavioral health conditions.
Behavioral Health
- $26.2 million increase for substance use outpatient services.
- $24 million increase for mental health case management, residential services, subacute care services, and new partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient hospitalization services for children and adults.
- $22.9 million increase for capital improvements to improve, expand and preserve licensed board and care facilities for adults and seniors.
- $17.2 million increase for substance use and mental health treatment programs.
- $15 million to expand the behavioral health workforce and develop a new training and tuition program.
- $14.6 million increase for two new Crisis Stabilization Units in El Cajon and Chula Vista.
- $6.9 million for a major renovation at the Polinsky Children’s Center for a new 16-bed children’s mental health crisis residential facility that will provide short-term, individualized stabilization services.
Public Safety
- $3.5 million to enhance fire and emergency medical services in Dulzura, Pauma Valley and East Otay Mesa areas.
- $3 million for a biometric health monitoring system to detect medical distress in youth in custody.
- $3 million to improve a temporary space during the construction of a new Sheriff’s substation in Ramona.
- $840,000 and five employees to the Office of Emergency Services to further support disaster recovery efforts and community engagement.
- $2.2 million invested in Probation’s Less Restrictive Placement program, a community-based program to support justice-involved youth in a less restrictive environment, helping them safely and successfully reintegrate into society.
- $14.3 million toward the purchase of a helicopter for expanded firefighting and search and rescue missions.
- $1.2 million to buy two ambulances for the unincorporated area.
- $1.9 million for the Medical Examiner’s decedent transportation services and toxicology equipment.
- $5.7 million to support the Sheriff’s medical and mental health services contracts.
- $9 million for services to Probation clients, primarily to support contract cost increases related to youth health care services.
- Six Probation employees including an additional canine officer to support Probation youth.
- A new Resource and Reentry Hub is planned to help formerly incarcerated people get the resources and support they need to successfully reenter the community.
Infrastructure
- $48.3 million for road safety including traffic signals, curb ramps, pedestrian crossings, guardrails and new sidewalks and bike lanes.
- $47.8 million to operate 33 branch libraries, four electric vehicle outreach vans, five automated book kiosks and the e-Library.
- $35.9 million to operate 158 park facilities, 58,459 acres of parkland and 389 miles of trails.
- $29 million to improve Sheriff’s jails, including upgrades to fire alarm systems, security equipment and additional technology to support safety, security and code compliance.
- $9 million to update the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility.
- $5.7 million increase for a total of $71.3 million to maintain 2,000 miles of County roads.
- An increase of $145,000 for a total of $4.8 million to clean culverts, channels and storm drains to help prevent storm flooding.
- $1.5 million to build a fire training tower.
- Rebuilding of the Mira Mesa Epicentre into a County-operated community center scheduled to open in fall 2026.
- New Casa de Oro Library to open in spring 2026.
- A new mobile veterinary surgical unit to begin delivering spay/neuter and basic pet wellness services to unincorporated areas with the highest need.
Vulnerable Populations
- $843.5 million to help more than a million people with no other means of support get access to CalFresh food assistance, Medi-Cal health coverage, CalWORKs and other public assistance.
- $489.1 million to strengthen and keep at-risk families and children together.
- $154.9 million to help families who support foster and adopted children.
- $11.5 million increase for a total of $223.5 million for In-Home Supportive Services for vulnerable adults and persons living with disabilities.
- The South County Family Justice Center opens in 2025 and will offer comprehensive trauma recovery services to those who need it. The one-stop shop will be like the North County Family Justice Center in San Marcos.
- Continued funding to provide 1.5 million meals to older adults at community spaces and for pickup or home delivery.
- Two community gardens are being developed for Spring Valley and Ramona to increase food security for low-income communities.
Environmental Sustainability
- $23.6 million to protect the region’s watershed and for new green infrastructure projects.
- $4.1 million to install new electric vehicle charging stations for the public and for fast electric vehicle chargers for County vehicles in rural areas.
- $1.6 million increase for a total of $4.1 million to implement the Climate Action Plan.
- $1.7 million to monitor and report beach and bay water quality.
- $1.6 million to reduce greenhouse gases.
- $1.3 million to improve the Tijuana River Valley through dredging and habitat restoration.
- $1 million to plant 2,000 trees on County property to lower greenhouse gases.
Additional Priorities
- $267.3 million to prevent epidemics and the spread of disease and ensure access for all through public health centers, home visiting programs and pharmaceutical services.
- Funding to operate a new $93 million state-of-the-art public health lab that will protect the public by testing for infectious diseases.
- $1 million to operate Safe Destination Nights, an after-school program serving 8,000 youths.
- $15.6 million to help protect public health by monitoring and treating 1,600 known mosquito breeding sites.
For more information about the County budget and the budget process, go to the San Diego County Open Budget website.