County Board of Supervisors Looks at Nearly $5 Billion Budget

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider a $4.97 billion operational plan for the next fiscal year, which will give the county the authority to continue spending until its budget is formally adopted in August.

The proposed plan would increase spending in the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1 by 2.5 percent over the current year and provide funding for the equivalent of 16,627 full-time jobs.

New positions would be added in public safety and the Health and Human Services Agency, which under the proposed operational plan would both receive a financial boost.

The extra public safety funds would go toward several areas including more detention staff, operating the expanded women's jail for part of the year, and making higher retirement contributions.

Health and Human Services would get an extra 3.6 percent to pay for changes to various programs and add staff. The Land Use and Environment, and Finance and General Government sectors would also get more money.

Funding for capital projects is set to decrease, however; infrastructure spending varies widely from year to year because of the way the county funds its projects.

Work that would be funded in the next fiscal year under the proposal are libraries in Alpine and Imperial Beach, renovation of the assessor's branch office in El Cajon, $9.8 million in debt service for the Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility in Santee, and $10 million for the county's Multiple Species Conservation Program.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob represents Lemon Grove, Santee, La Mesa and other East County communities.

Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer called the spending plan one of "modest growth" when she presented it to the supervisors earlier this month.

The county, which plans for two years at a time, also has proposed spending $4.81 billion in 2014-15.

After a series of public hearings and deliberations, the board will formally adopt the first year of the operation plan as its budget and approve the second year in principle for planning purposes. A budget resolution is scheduled for an adoption vote on Aug. 6.

– City News Service