Sacramento, California – Sacramento County residents will soon have a chance to weigh in on how billions of public dollars should be spent in the coming year, as the County has released its Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27 and scheduled public hearings for June.
The preliminary plan totals $8.9 billion, a 2.8% decrease from the County’s adopted budget for FY 2025-26. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to begin reviewing the proposal at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10, in Board Chambers at the Sacramento County Administration Building, 700 H Street in Sacramento. Hearings may continue at 9:30 a.m. on June 11 and June 12, if needed.
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Members of the public may attend and comment in person or submit written remarks. The proceedings will also be broadcast live on Metro Cable 14 and through the County’s website, allowing residents to follow decisions that may affect services throughout the region.
The hearing schedule includes consideration of the IHSS Public Authority Budget, followed by the County Executive’s budget presentation and departmental reviews involving the District Attorney, Sheriff, Public Defender, Regional Parks, Human Assistance, Child, Family and Adult Services, and Health Services. Public comment and Board deliberation on the Recommended Budget and Capital Improvement Plan are also planned. The presentation order remains subject to change.
Under the spending plan, $3.2 billion would be placed in Enterprise and Special Revenue Funds, supported by utility rates, fees and other dedicated income. Another $4 billion would flow through the General Fund, including $1 billion in discretionary revenue, $1.7 billion in reimbursements from restricted funds and $1.3 billion in federal, state and fee revenue reserved for specific purposes. The remaining $1.7 billion is listed in Restricted Funds.
The proposal arrives after a difficult budget cycle. In January, the County projected a $101 million deficit, with approximately half attributed to impacts from HR 1, also referred to as the “Big Beautiful Bill.” In response, the Board directed departments to identify the effects of 2.5% funding reductions in their budget requests.
County Executive David Villanueva said departments worked to limit disruptions while meeting financial targets.
“I appreciate the leadership and creativity our departments demonstrated throughout this process,” Villanueva said.
“Across the organization, teams took a careful look at their operations, identified opportunities to streamline where possible, and eliminated vacant positions that are no longer needed to sustain current service levels. Their work helped us meet these budget targets while they committed to continuing critical services for our residents.”
A key pressure point is the County’s General Fund beginning available balance, estimated at $46 million for FY 2026-27. That represents a 37% drop from the prior year’s $73 million balance, which had been used to support ongoing spending.
Recommended General Fund reductions total $57 million and include the deletion of 194.5 full-time equivalent positions. Except for the District Attorney’s Office, the County said recommended position cuts are structured to avoid layoffs by removing vacant positions or using existing vacancies in the same classifications elsewhere in the organization.
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Among the largest reductions are $13.7 million and 48 positions in the Sheriff’s budget; $5.7 million and 19 positions in Child, Family and Adult Services; $5.4 million in Health Services; $4.1 million and 15 positions in the District Attorney’s Office; and $4.1 million with 10 vacant positions removed from Correctional Health Services.
At the same time, the proposal includes $91 million in General Fund growth, with $44 million supported through discretionary County funds. The largest additions focus on required services and obligations, including $34 million in Net County Cost for Health Services programs, $11.7 million for Correctional Health obligations under the Mays Consent Decree, and $3 million for Homeless Services and Housing, including shelter operations and a pilot Safe Parking program.
The full Recommended Budget, supporting documents and public hearing information are available through the Sacramento County Office of Budget and Debt Management. The June proposal is not final; a Revised Recommended Budget is expected to return to the Board in September for deliberation and adoption.