To: Board of Supervisors
From: Monica Nino, County Administrator
Report Title: FY24-25 County and Special Districts Recommended Budget
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. OPEN and CONDUCT a public hearing to receive input on the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Recommended Contra Costa County and Special District Budgets.
2. RECEIVE budget presentations from the following departments on April 22, 2024:
a. County Administrator’s Office
b. Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters
c. Auditor Controller
d. Health Services
e. Employment and Human Services
f. Animal Services
g. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
h. Library
3. RECEIVE public comment on the above budget presentations.
4. RECEIVE Board of Supervisors direction end of Day 1.
5. RECEIVE budget presentations from the following departments, tentatively scheduled for April 23, 2024:
i. Sheriff-Coroner
j. District Attorney
k. Public Defender
l. Probation
m. Public Works
6. RECEIVE public comment on the above budget presentations and any other budget items.
7. CLOSE the public hearing.
8. RECEIVE Board of Supervisors direction.
9. ACKNOWLEDGE that delivering core services, maintaining top credit ratings, minimizing debt, meeting labor contract obligations, and maintenance of the County's physical assets remain a priority of the Board of Supervisors over the long term;
10. ACKNOWLEDGE that the Recommended Budget balances annual estimated expenditures with estimated revenues in FY24-25;
11. ACKNOWLEDGE that the Recommended Budget does not include any funding changes that may occur in the State of California’s FY24-25 budget;
12. RE-AFFIRM the Board of Supervisors’ policy prohibiting the use of County General Purpose Revenue to backfill State and Federal revenue cuts;
13. PROVIDE direction to the County Administrator for the anticipated $31M one-time surplus for Measure X;
14. DIRECT the County Administrator to claim $37,544,395 in remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) to offset a portion of the General Fund subsidy to the Hospital Enterprise Fund in FY23-24;
15. DIRECT the County Administrator to include a new General Fund reserve designation of “Assigned” fund balance in the amount of $37,544,395 at the conclusion of FY23-24 in recognition of FEMA claims that have not yet been obligated or received;
16. DIRECT the County Administrator to return to the Board of Supervisors at least annually on the status of the County’s COVID-19 FEMA Public Assistance program claims and DETERMINE whether to reduce the $37,544,395 “Assigned” fund balance designation in amounts consistent with COVID-19 FEMA payments received by the County.
17. ACKNOWLEDGE that the Recommended Budget includes a specific appropriation of $20M for contingency, and that the Board also maintains its ability to manage General Fund contingencies during the fiscal year by use of fund balance and reserve funds;
18. ACKNOWLEDGE that any program increases or restoration of any recommended program reductions will require an equivalent reduction in funds from other County priorities in order to adhere to our balanced budget policy;
19. DIRECT the County Administrator to prepare for consideration by the Board of Supervisors on May 21, 2024, position additions and eliminations necessary to carry out Board action on the Recommended Budget;
20. DIRECT the County Administrator to prepare for Board adoption on May 21, 2024, the FY24-25 County and Special District Budgets, as modified, to incorporate any changes directed by the Board during these public hearings.
FISCAL IMPACT:
See attached FY24-25 Recommended Budget totaling $5.979 billion and 11,400.6 allocated full-time equivalent positions, including the Transmittal Letter and Budget Summary.
The web version of the document can also be found at this link:
<https://county-contra-costa-ca-budget-book.cleargov.com/10027/introduction/transmittal-letter>
Other budget documents, including for prior years can be found at the link below:
<https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/770/Budget-Documents>
BACKGROUND:
Explanation of the County Administrator’s budget recommendations is presented in the attached FY24-25 Recommended Budget document and summarized in the attached PowerPoint presentation. Materials from presenting departments are also attached as listed below.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Adoption of the County and Special Districts budget may be delayed.