Sacramento County Approves $4B Recommended Budget

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted today to approve the Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18. The $4 billion budget will allow the County to operate until the final budget is completed and approved in September.

“This year’s budget focuses on enhancing programs and initiatives which address homelessness as well as a number of public health and safety-related issues and continues our work to improve services to people and communities throughout Sacramento County,” said Board Chairman Don Nottoli, Supervisor for District 5.

The Board of Supervisors approved enhanced funding for programs and services including:

$6.2 million – Implement Board-approved initiatives to reduce homelessness, including improving family crisis response and shelter, preserving the Mather Community Campus, full-service re-housing shelters and flexible supporting re-housing programs.
$980,000 – Implementation of Sheriff’s intelligence-led policing model—completes staffing with addition of six Crime and Intelligence Analyst positions and one Senior Crime and Intelligence Analyst
$1.6 million – Add one Sergeant and eight Deputy Sheriff positions to staff the Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Unit at the Main Jail
$3.4 million – Contract provider funding and five new positions for oversight and management for Dental Transformation Initiative (dental care for low-income children)
$1.6 million – Foster Care Continuum of Care Reform mandates—add six positions and increase contract costs to ensure compliance with mandates
$2.6 million – Implement a new Adult Offender Supervision Model in the Probation Department—11 new positions, re-allocation of 12 existing positions, seven vehicles, and additional building lease and contract costs
$93,000 – Animal Care Initiatives that continue Return to Field program for cats, animal spay-neuter services, augment a Foster/Rescue team and fund additional veterinary services
$449,000 – Regional Parks Visitor Services and debris removal programs that includes $208,000 to implement a Visitor Services Program and $241,000 for the disposal of debris from the Parkway
$600,000 – Completion of the American River Parkway Natural Resources Management Plan
$1.4 million – Transfer of $1.4 million from the General Fund to the Roads Fund to improve the condition of existing County roads

The budget also continues to maintain recent investments, including:

The Healthy Partners Program that provides healthcare services to undocumented immigrants
A strategic plan to reduce disproportionate African American child deaths through community-based contracts and targeted staffing in Child Protective Services, Public Health and Probation
Implementation of the Title IV – E Foster Care Waiver Program, which provides counties with incentives and flexibility to control foster care costs and achieve better outcomes for foster care youth
Community Livability Initiatives, including increased Code Enforcement staffing, a Graffiti Abatement Program, the 311 Call Program and the Community Prosecution Unit in the District Attorney’s Office
Animal Care and Regulation Initiatives, including expansion of spay/neuter, foster, return-to-field and barn cat adoption programs, as well as the off-site adoption center.
Efforts to reduce fire danger and illegal camping in Regional Parks

“The 2017-18 budget is balanced and fully funds the County’s staffing and program needs while also implementing strategic initiatives that address the Board’s priorities,” said County Executive Nav Gill.

The Board will hear an updated proposal ($3-5 million budget adjustment) from the County Executive on July 11 to address the impacts of illegal camping throughout Sacramento County.

For details, read the budget documents on the Office of Budget and Debt Management website.