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Proposed Budget Released By Chief Executive Office
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The Stanislaus County Chief Executive Office has released the County’s 2021-2022 Recommended Proposed Budget for Budget Period 2020-2021/2021-2022 – Year Two. The Recommended Proposed Budget will serve as the interim operational plan for Stanislaus County programs and services until a Final Budget is adopted in mid-September.

California is poised to re-open, marking a significant transition and a return to a “new normal” after 16 months under the COVID-19 pandemic emergency order. Stanislaus County has served a critical, key role in managing local mitigation and recovery efforts through what has become the longest emergency response in County history. The County has been able to provide both emergency support and standard services through triage and streamlining processes. Relying on the County’s two-year budget model, the Proposed Budget uses as its base the 2021-2022 Spending Plan developed over one year ago. Departments were able to simply fine-tune this pre-existing budget rather than develop one from scratch, a significant savings of time and effort. County officials said the result is a sound financial plan to begin the fiscal year; a product of tremendous process improvement. Proposed budget recommendations are largely technical in nature, accommodating ongoing costs approved subsequent to the Spending Plan acceptance last September as part of the 2020-2021 Final Budget process.

As a balanced operational plan, the County budget is developed using the six Board Priorities: Supporting Strong and Safe Neighborhoods, Supporting Community Health, Developing a Healthy Economy, Promoting First-Rate Learning, Delivering Efficient Public Services and Delivering Community Infrastructure. The Recommended Proposed Budget totals $1.5 billion in appropriations and reflects a decrease of approximately $63.7 million, or 4.2 percent when compared to the 2020-2021 Adopted Final Budget.

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 is balanced with $1.4 billion in estimated revenue, an increase of $21.1 million or 1.5 percent over the 2020-2021 Adopted Final Budget. The budget relies on the use of $39.2 million in fund balance and retained earnings, just 2.7 percent of planned spending.

The General Fund totals $376.5 million in the 2021-2022 Recommended Proposed Budget, representing a decrease of $19.8 million or 5 percent from the 2020-2021 Adopted Final Budget. Estimated Discretionary Revenue of $241.3 million assumes a 3.3 percent increase largely attributed to property tax and sales tax revenue. The General Fund is balanced and results in a savings of $8 million in the use of fund balance for a total Net County Cost of $233.3 million.

A Public Hearing before the Board of Supervisors for the consideration and adoption of the 2021-2022 Recommended Proposed Budget for Budget Period 2020-2021/2021-2022 – Year Two has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. The meeting will take place in the basement Board Chambers located at 1010 10th St., Modesto.

The Stanislaus County 2021-2022 Recommended Proposed Budget is available for public review on the County’s website at www.stancounty.com/budget/ and may also be viewed at the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors Office located at 1010 10th St., Suite 6500, in Modesto.