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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will hold two days of budget hearings to discuss where and how to allocate more than $400 million in county funds.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. on both Tuesday, June 24 and Wednesday, June 25, 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.
Over the two days, the board will consider the recommended budget for fiscal year 2025-26.
According to the staff memo, the final budget must be approved by June 30 and adopted by Oct. 2. Final adoption will take place following public hearings currently scheduled for Sept. 23.
For the upcoming fiscal year, recommended appropriations for all funds total $418,634,111 — an increase of $21,458,724 from the previous year, according to the staff memo.
The increase, the staff memo said, is attributable to additional appropriations to a range of special revenue funds such as $19.5 million to Behavioral Health Services, $2 million to roads, $3.4 million to Spring Valley, $2.7 million to Northwest Regional Wastewater System, and $9 million to public safety facilities.
Out of the total amount, the county’s General Fund appropriations take up about 24% — just under $100 million at $99,735,475 — showing a decrease of $1.54 million from the previous year's adopted budget.
According to the data presented in the memo, General Fund appropriations have increased in dollar amount over the past seven years.
However, the proposed allocation for fiscal year 2025-26, if approved, would mark the first decrease in eight years.
The staff memo attributes the $1.5 million decrease to economic uncertainty, accommodating increases in Memorandum of Understanding, or MOUs, and projects that may be allocated one-time funding at final budget.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors approved at least $5 million in raises for county employees as part of the MOUs.
The staff memo identifies the primary sources of discretionary revenue for the General Fund, with property tax as the largest single source “by a great margin."
“General Fund appropriations ebb and flow, in direct relationship to General Fund discretionary revenues available,” the staff memo said. “Property tax revenues have steadily increased over time.”
Anticipated property tax revenue for FY 2024 - 25 is shown as $33.2 million, with budgeted revenue for FY 2025 - 26 projected at $34.5 million.
Other revenues include sales tax received through May 2025 total $8.1 million, transient occupancy tax revenues $0.8 million and cannabis tax $2.7 million.
Email staff writer Lingzi Chen at
