With the Board of Supervisors set for a budget vote in less than two weeks, modest revisions in San Diego County’s spending package for the coming year include millions in extra revenue for law enforcement and extra consulting contracts for infrastructure projects.
A revised county budget released on Thursday injects about $18 million more into the county’s record $8.6 billion budget , which includes boosts for public safety and social services spending. That comes at the expense of capital projects, which took a $90 million haircut, roughly two-thirds of its $135 million budget last year.
Budget talks now pivot to supervisors, who are expected to introduce their own changes to the budget next week ahead of a final vote on June 24.
The 2025-26 budget maintains the status quo in the county’s fiscal direction. Since the seat to represent District 1 is vacant, the board’s two Democrats and two Republicans don’t have the votes to steer the county’s budget in one direction or another.
Even though it’s uncertain what faction will control the board after the July 1 election, whoever’s in power will have to contend with lingering uncertainty about how much state aid the county will get, even as local revenues from things like property taxes remain strong.
County financial forecasts anticipate a $120 million budget gap next year, which is down from a $139 million gap the county had to close this year.
Next year, the county estimates it will receive $42 million less in state aid and $65 million less from the federal government.
What's in the revisions?
The revised budget released by Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton on Thursday largely adjusts revenue for the Sheriff’s Office, which received about $13.2 million in additional state and federal grants.
Those grants will go toward services for people about to be released from custody, the purchase and training of police dogs, and existing contracts for software and equipment, said county spokesperson Tammy Glenn.
Another large tranche of adjustments — $3.9 million — will go toward pre-construction consulting contracts out of the Department of Public Works for bike lanes, new traffic signals, and pedestrian infrastructure in Fallbrook and Spring Valley, Glenn said.
In the upcoming budget, infrastructure took the hardest hit out of all spending. The drawdown in county capital spending will get more dramatic going forward.
Five years ago, the county’s capital budget stood at $130 million. The $46 million in the upcoming budget represents a 65% drop in spending on the county’s roads and infrastructure. When adjusted for inflation over the last five years, the true drop reaches nearly 72%.
In forecasts for the 2026-27 budget, projected capital spending will stand at only $7 million.
The county says it has less of a need and fewer financial resources to undertake new capital projects. The budget contains five new projects, though: a sheriff’s station in Ramona, new electric vehicle charging stations for county vehicles, a 16-bed crisis center for youths, a facility for juveniles incarcerated for short periods of time, and a training tower for county fire personnel.
Under the revisions, modest new spending will go toward Health and Human Services programs. That includes $600,000 for domestic violence shelters and $300,000 for legal services for tenants facing eviction.
A strong quarter
Despite the financial uncertainty ahead, the county recently posted its biggest quarterly surplus since 2022, which allowed it to cover shortfalls in its public safety agencies and pad out its reserves.
In the third quarter of its current fiscal year, the county spent $296 million less than it expected to. Revenues came in $117 million lower than expected, but that still allowed the county to have a balance of $179 million in its funds. The last time the balance was that high was in 2022, when the county spent $262 million less than expected and brought its fund balance to about $256 million.
In May, the board of supervisors unanimously supported recommendations from county staff to reallocate the excess funds, with a significant portion going to the Sheriff’s Office.
Supervisors redirected $9.1 million of the surplus to the Sheriff’s Office, which faced higher than expected costs for settling lawsuits, maintaining facilities, and other factors. Another $1.8 million went to the Office of the Public Defender to cover increased spending on psychiatric evaluations.
Thanks to the surplus, the county directed about $53 million to its unassigned reserves, which is money not currently earmarked or set aside for any programs or services.
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