San Rafael, CA – With declining revenues due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marin County Board of Supervisors will soon consider a proposed budget for the next fiscal year that largely maintains existing services and adds $12.7 million to continue its response to the public health emergency. The long-term budget outlook will be re-examined in the fall pending more information about the state budget and potentially additional federal stimulus efforts.
County staff is proposing a $619.7 million budget for 2020-21, a 1.7% reduction, because of declining revenues related to the pandemic. To achieve a balanced budget for 2020-21, which is required by law for local governments, staff recommends $8.4 million in one-time expenditure reductions and the use of $2.1 million from budget stabilization reserves.
The public is invited to review the proposed budget online and watch or participate in the budget hearings, which are set for Monday morning, June 22, and will continue Tuesday, June 23, and Wednesday, June 24, via videoconference.
County Administrator Matthew Hymel said that while the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially altered the fiscal outlook, the County remains focused on responding to the public health emergency and working with community partners to guide the reopening of Marin’s economy in a safe and measured way.
”We are extremely proud of all the County staff who have stepped up when our community needs us most,” Hymel said. “The economic impacts of COVID-19 are projected to cause significant budgetary shortfalls, though the full extent will not be fully known until we see how quickly the economy is able to rebound over the coming months and whether the federal government approves additional stimulus funds to support state and local governments.”
The goals of the proposed budget are to:
- Respond to the public health emergency;
- reduce expenditures to balance budget;
- use one-time funds to build reserves;
- defer one-time investments until fiscal outlook is better known.
Budget Manager Bret Uppendahl said the Board’s decision to build up reserves in the past few years allows the County to make thoughtful budget adjustments over the next year to close its long-term budget gap.
“We are projecting ongoing shortfalls that will need to be addressed later in the year,” Uppendahl said. “We’re going to have to identify permanent reductions in a variety of programs to achieve a structural balance over the next fiscal year.”
This fall, the County will develop a long-term plan to rebalance its budget once future revenues are better known and there is more information about state and federal revenues.
The budget hearings June 22-24 provide an opportunity for residents and the Board members to review the draft budget, provide feedback, and ask questions. Residents may watch the proceedings online or watch on Channel 27 for Comcast TV subscribers. The third day of hearings is a target date for the Board to adopt a final budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Learn more about the County’s budget overview webpage. Budget feedback may be emailed to the County budget staff.
All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held at accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats – or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity – please contact department staff by email or at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY).