El Dorado County eliminates 39 positions with $1 billion budget for 2025-26

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $1.04 budget for fiscal year 2025-26 to fund county programs and services. Staff said 39 staff positions were cut back. The budget reflects all governmental funds, including special revenue, and excludes Special Districts and proprietary funds. $409.9 million of that amount is the county's general fund, which funds public safety and general government services, said spokesperson Carla Hass. "Despite a decrease in discretionary general fund revenues and an increased demand from the state in the form of unfunded/underfunded state mandates, the recommended budget reflects a countywide effort to conserve general fund costs where possible without any reduction in services to the public," said Chief Administrative Officer Tiffany Schmid. The budget fully funds the General Fund contingency of $7.85 million to provide resources in the event of unforeseen fiscal issues and a general reserve of $13 million to provide resources in the event of significant emergency situations. The budget also adds $1 million for information tech infrastructure and $142,172 to disaster expenses to fully meet policy goals for both. Additionally, the goal of maintaining at least two years' worth of CalPERS unfunded accrued liability cost increases is fully met, according to the report. The budget missed the board policy goal of contributing $5 million of discretionary revenues to road maintenance by $100,000 but is expected to meet that goal when the final budget is adopted in the fall, staff explained. The budget also falls short of the board goal of adding $6 million annually for capital projects but includes $1.5 million to replace the Spring Street facility, which houses several Health and Human Services programs. While the budget is balanced and the county's overall position is relatively strong in terms of maintaining reserves and future needs, the economic outlook calls for cost-cutting, or continued efforts to bring spending in line with downward-trending revenues, said Shmid. Departments' use of discretionary funds is decreasing by $11.3 million when compared to the current 2024-25 budget. The new budget includes the reduction of 39.2 full-time equivalent positions, 11 of which are filled. That represents a 2-percent reduction in full-time jobs, and the first time the county has reduced allocations since 2017-18, staff said. "Although we have known this day has been coming for years, it is nonetheless difficult to make some of the adjustments when the time arrives. So I want to acknowledge the difficult decisions the board and department heads have made during this process, demonstrating fiscal responsibility and restraint," said Schmid. The board directed staff to develop 5-percent and 10-percent budget reduction scenarios for the following 2026-27 budget. The final budget will be adopted Sept. 30 in accordance with state law, said Hass.