San Rafael, CA – The County of Marin’s budget is balanced for the next two years. The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved the 2018-2020 budget at the conclusion of its annual budget hearings June 20.
County Administrator Matthew Hymel (left) and Budget Manager Bret Uppendahl (right) presented a budget that reflects the Board of Supervisors' highest priorities (file photo). The $590 million spending plan is up 6.4 percent from a year ago. The $443 million general fund budget is relatively flat, up just 0.5 percent from a year ago.
The budget maintains existing services and makes one-time investments toward our highest priorities such as affordable housing, disaster preparedness, racial equity, climate change, and roads. The budget also includes ongoing increases for expanded mental health programs, facility improvements, and cost-of-living adjustments for County staff.
“This budget is the culmination of a lot of work by a well-functioning Board, a strong County staff, and significant community input,” said Board President Damon Connolly. “I believe it strikes the balance between fiscal prudence and moving aggressively in a number of areas that we have set as policy priorities over the past several years.”
For the first time in five years, the County in March 2018 made budget adjustments to re-balance the budget. Much of the growth in spending is due to new state funding for specific services such as mental health and homeless services. Property taxes are projected to grow by 5.4 percent and supports about 30 percent of the County’s budget.
A 16-page Budget in Brief is on the County’s website. The approved budget will be posted on the budget overview page of the County Administrator’s webpage in the next few days. Questions about the budget may be emailed to caobudget@marincounty.org.