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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will review the county’s mid-financial year budget adjustments which includes over $4 million in salary increases, consider updates from the deficit-running and debt-burdened Community Development Department and approve a $23 million federal funding request.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 865 3354 4962, pass code 726865. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,86533544962#,,,,*726865#. The meeting can also be accessed via phone at 669 900 6833.
At 10:30 a.m., the board will consider the midyear review and make amendments to the county’s adopted budget for 2025-26.
The adjustments will cover reserves, fund balance carry over, revenue, appropriations and position allocations.
Budget documents show both deletion of staff positions and increase in salaries.
Amendments include $3,448,109 in salary increases across 17 general fund budget units, along with a $609,500 increase in departmental budgets, bringing the total salary increase to more than $4 million.
Removal of staff positions appears to be concentrated in the Community Development Department, or CDD.
The department is requesting deletion of three full-time-equivalent positions from its Building and Safety division and deletion of four in the Code Enforcement Division.
In recent months, CDD staff have admitted that the department's yearslong practice of internal transfer of reserves resulted in exhaustion of their reserves and drove the department into deficit and debt.
“The source of this problem is a slow and steady trend of reserve spending,” CDD Deputy Administrator Shannon Walker-Smith told the board on Dec. 9.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Casey Moreno said at that meeting that more than $1 million had been internally transferred from the Building Division to cover salaries in Code Enforcement and Planning divisions over the past three years.
However, a midyear budget document states that the department’s $78,033 reserve was depleted to “cover a decrease in permits,” a characterization that contrasts with prior statements attributing the deficit to internal reserve transfers
The agenda allocates 45 minutes for the board to review and approve all midyear budget amendments.
At 1 p.m., the board will consider an update on the deficit-running CDD’s loan repayment plan and ongoing operations.
The update is scheduled after the midyear budget amendments. That means the board will be asked to act on CDD-related budget changes before hearing the department’s full financial and operational plan.
The board approved a loan of $390,000 to the CDD’s Building Division in November to make payrolls. At that time, the resolution approving the loan required repayment by the end of June 2026.
In December, as a structural flaw in the financial practice of reserve transfers was disclosed, the department proposed to repay the loan over three years.
In January, staff reduction as a measure to cut costs was brought to the table.
The item first came to the board on Feb. 10 and was continued to this week despite complaints from some supervisors and members of the public on delaying the discussion.
The staff memo said the continuation allows staff to develop options pursuing two goals: loan repayment and department operations to reduce impact on the general fund.
At 2:15 p.m., the Board will consider formalizing the county’s fiscal year 2027 federal funding priorities for submission to Rep. Mike Thompson, and Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff ahead of the March 6 deadline.
Staff recommends adopting resolutions for five priority projects:
• South Lakeport Regional Water Resiliency & Fire Protection: $7,211,500;
• Reentry Housing and Workforce Development: $5,000,000.
• Health care Education And Regional Training Hub: $3,000,000.
• Soda Bay Road Widening and Resurfacing: $5,874,352.
• Southeast Wastewater Collection System Improvements: $2,000,000.
The board will also consider authorizing a letter of support for the Lakeport Fire Protection District’s request for a new fire station.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1, Adopt proclamation designating March 8, 2026 as International Women’s Day in Lake County.
5.2, Adopt proclamation designating March 2026 as Women’s History Month in Lake County.
5.3, Adopt proclamation designating March 2026 as National Nutrition Month in Lake County.
5.4, Approve agreement with Lake County Resource Conservation District for implementation of a comprehensive agricultural planning initiative in the amount of $376,300 and authorize the Chair to sign.
5.5, Approve Board of Supervisors meeting minutes of Jan. 13, 2026.
5.6, Adopt resolution authorizing increase in petty cash for Lake County Health Services Public Health Division.
5.7, Adopt resolution authorizing increase in petty cash for Lake County Health Services Environmental Health Division.
5.8, Adopt resolution authorizing increase in petty cash for Lake County Health Services Office of Vital Records and Registration.
5.9, Approve amendment two to agreement with Staten Solar Corporation for courthouse campus energy conservation facilities and authorize the Chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.1, 9:02 a.m.: Public input.
6.2, 9:03 a.m.: Pet of the week.
6.3, 9:05 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating March 8, 2026 as International Women’s Day.
6.4, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating March 2026 as Women’s History Month.
6.5, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating March 2026 as National Nutrition Month.
6.6, 9:30 a.m.: Workshop presentation for public and board input regarding Prohousing Designation for Lake County.
6.7, 10:30 a.m.: (a) Resolution amending FY 2025–26 adopted budget for midyear adjustments; and (b) resolution amending FY 2025–26 position allocations.
6.8, 11:15 a.m.: (a) Presentation of deficit tax default land sale letter and memo; and (b) discussion of impacts to pending and future tax defaulted land sales.
6.9, 1 p.m.: Consideration of request for board direction regarding Community Development Department loan repayment plan and operational adjustments.
6.10, 2 p.m.: Presentation of the 2026 Weights and Measures report.
6.11, 2:15 p.m.: (a) Resolutions affirming FY 2027 community project funding and congressionally directed spending priorities; and (b) letter of support for Lakeport Fire Protection District funding request.
NON-TIMED ITEMS
7.1, Supervisors’ weekly calendar, travel and reports.
7.2, Consideration of Administrative Office overview presentation.
ASSESSMENT APPEAL HEARINGS
8.1, 10 a.m.: (As Board of Equalization) Consideration of continuations for assessment appeals 27-2024, 30-2024, 31-2024, and 38-2024 to Nov. 3, 2026.
8.2, Consideration of stipulations for assessment appeals 22-2024 and 29-2024.
8.3, Consideration of assessment appeal applications 02-2024 through 09-2024, 05-2023, 15-2024, and 23-2024 through 25-2024.
CLOSED SESSION
9.1, 9:45 a.m.: Conference with labor negotiator: Lake County Employees Association Units 3, 4 and 5.
9.2, Public employee evaluation: Agricultural Commissioner Katherine VanDerWall.
9.3, Public employee evaluation: Health Services Director Anthony Arton.
9.4, Public employee evaluation: Community Development Director Mireya Turner.
9.5, Public employee evaluation: Special Districts Administrator Robin Borre.
9.6, Conference with labor negotiator: Deputy County Counsel Association.
9.7, Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation, three potential cases.
Editor's note: A previous version of the story incorrectly reported the time of the CDD item.
Lingzi Chen is a staff reporter at Lake County News and a 2024-2026 California Local News Fellow. Email her at lchen@lakeconews.com.
