San Mateo County Supervisors Approve $5.2B Preliminary Budget

Should the funds come through — which makes up approximately $18% of the county’s estimated revenue — the general fund budget totals $3.78 billion. 

The county and its cities are owed over $157 million, $93 million of which is the county’s share. If the state continues to refuse distributing the funds, major budget allocations will have to be reconsidered, County Executive Mike Callagy said. 

“Any reduction, delay or disruption has significant implications for ongoing services and they become immediate, not five years from now,” Callagy said. 

However, the county adopted the budget assuming the county receives the funds, because it believes it is rightfully owed the refund, Callagy said. 

Supervisor Jackie Speier commended staff’s work to advocate on behalf of the county in Sacramento to secure the VLF funds. 

The general fund is the part of the budget that largely addresses county programs and initiatives. Estimated to be $3.5 billion, the majority of this budget goes toward staff, their salaries and benefits. 

The county’s budget includes funds for a total of 5,945 positions, 61 of which are to be added. Sixty to 70% of the budget goes toward the nearly 6,000 employees. 

Those added positions staff the recently completed human trafficking and family justice center, the forensic laboratory, and includes nine new dentists and hygienists for the North County Wellness Center’s new dental practice, a few positions within the Sheriff’s Office in correctional facility and emergency service coordination, and three to the District Attorney’s Office in response to an increase in case loads in recent years. 

The county has also recently increased its reserve policy to save 15% of the budget for a rainy day — which was previously just 10%. The estimated reserves in the upcoming budget is slightly above the 15% threshold, estimated at 17.8%, but Callagy said the actual budget will likely reflect an amount closer to the policy. 

The hefty reserves are also kept on standby as the county continues to prepare for the worst when it comes to securing VLF funds from the state. Getting out of leases and purchasing properties to own has also situated the county well, Callagy said. 

“It really allows us the flexibility to get through situations,” Callagy said. “We’re always thinking about how do we refinance things or relook at the budget in a way that will stretch it further and provide the resources that we need.” 

Board President Noelia Corzo said the public should know the lengths the county has gone to be fiscally prudent in all scenarios. 

“We really are being proactive and in this potentially difficult economic time … we have done everything that we can to prepare for these times,” Corzo said.