Public hearings on 2022-23 county budget to begin June 14

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will hold annual budget hearings beginning Tuesday, June 14 at 8:30 a.m. The hearings will be streamed live, and the public will have an opportunity to provide input each day regarding the recommended 2022-2023 fiscal year operating plan. At the conclusion of the budget hearings, the board will adopt a final budget to serve as the strategic operating plan for Fiscal Year 2022-23.

Budget hearings are available for public viewing and comment here: 
https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=935316&GUID=0AAFCD39-ED94-43E1-99C7-286B65A05A21&Options=info|&Search=

The public comment period will begin at 10 a.m. on June 14 and at 9 a.m. on subsequent days. Public comment may be made live during the Zoom meeting or live, in person, in the Board Chambers.

Budget hearing materials, including the recommended budget book, are available here: 
https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/county-administrators-office/budget-and-operations/budget-reports

The 2022-23 recommended budget includes $2.14 billion in total expenditures, a 1.3 percent increase from the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Adopted Budget, and 4,181 full-time positions, representing a 0.6 percent increase in staffing. The budget includes federal support through the CARES and American Rescue Plan Acts, FEMA disaster response, and funding from settlements with PG&E over wildfire damages, which have supported the county’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The funds also will continue to support the county’s progress toward achieving objectives within the five pillars of Sonoma County’s Five-Year Strategic Plan, including Healthy and Safe Communities, Racial Equity and Social Justice, Organizational Excellence, Climate Action and Resiliency, and Resilient Infrastructure.

“Multiple years of disaster response have made our work in developing a sound operating plan and structurally balanced budget more challenging and more critical to maintaining superior public services that enrich the quality of life in Sonoma County,” said James Gore, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “Fortunately, most departments were able to submit balanced budgets without reductions to baseline services. Next week’s hearings are the vehicle for presenting plans and investment opportunities in a collaborative public process that ensures Sonoma County maintains its standing as one of the most desirable places to live and work.”

The County of Sonoma acts as an administrative agent for three sets of services, including municipal services, countywide local services and countywide services provided on behalf of the state and federal governments. The budget hearings include budgets for special districts for which the Board of Supervisors Acts as the Board of Directors, such as Sonoma Water and the Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. Stable financial conditions have meant that most departments were able to submit balanced recommended budgets without needing to make reductions to baseline services in Fiscal Year 2022-23.  

Municipal services pertain mainly to unincorporated areas of the county and include fire protection; emergency services and planning; Sheriff’s law enforcement; building and land use regulations; road maintenance; parks; and lighting, water, and sewer utilities.

Countywide local services are common to most counties in the state or country. These include services of the County Clerk, Elections, Assessor, Auditor-Controller-Tax Collector, as well as criminal prevention and prosecution, public defense, probation, detention, and environmental protection. Services provided on behalf of the state and federal governments are funded by state and federal revenue sources and are primarily related to health and human services.

The adopted budget, as modified under the board’s direction during budget hearings, will include approved adjustments from recommendations made during April budget workshops, as well as supplemental budget adjustments, which represent programmatic changes based on information that was not available when the recommended budget was finalized.

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Media Contact: 
Dan Virkstis, Communications Specialist 
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org 
(707) 565-3040 
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A 
Santa Rosa, CA 95403