Sonoma County supervisors are diving into a projected $2.7 billion budget this week, facing a “perfect storm” of federal funding cuts and shrinking local tax revenue.
Officials warn that shifting national policies could pull the safety net out from under thousands of vulnerable residents, potentially saddling the county with a $124 million bill to maintain essential health and food services. With a “flat” budget and the threat of dozens of layoffs in planning and health departments, leaders describe the upcoming fiscal year as a period of unprecedented uncertainty.
Final hearings to address these “grave financial straits” are set to begin this June.