The Monterey County Board of Supervisors approves $2.2 billion budget, noting challenges ahead.

Following months of preparation, a hiring freeze, long hours of deliberation in budget hearings and managing public input and requests—the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on Tuesday, June 17, to approve the County's budget for fiscal year 2025-26. 

Some viewed the outcome as a success, noting that modifications were made transparently and as thoughtfully as possible in one of the most challenging years yet. Others said the process left too many unanswered questions about how the county will fund its priorities in the years ahead.

“I would like to take a minute to give a tremendous thank you to Monterey County staff and this board,” Gary Cursio, director of government affairs for the Monterey County Hospitality Association, said. “Out of all the times I have witnessed this process, this was without a doubt the most difficult.”

The budget authorized $2.23 billion in appropriations, offset by $2.1 billion in revenues and $87 million in fund balance. The budget reflects a wide array of county priorities across 27 departments and includes additional revenue from Measure AA, a voter-approved 1-percent sales tax increase passed last November. The measure is expected to bring in $2.5 million, although those exact numbers are uncertain. Another $2.9 million will come from contingency reserves.

Supervisor Wendy Root Askew expressed serious concerns about the use of one-time funds for ongoing expenses, saying, “We lack a strategic plan that moves us towards a more structurally sound budget.

“The course we're on right now is not sustainable and will inevitably force us into reactive and damaging cuts to our workforce and to public services down the line,” she said.

Challenges remain varied, in part due to reductions in state and federal funding and the eventual end of one-time federal funds that have historically supported county initiatives. In addition, adjustments may be needed throughout the year to account for unknown costs, such as negotiations with the next healthcare provider for the Monterey County Jail, capital cost changes, and more precise revenue projections from Measure AA.

Supervisor Chris Lopez noted that a hiring freeze will continue, allowing the board to be more judicious in staffing decisions.

“It’s not going to be as planned out as we would want it to be,” he said. “It's hard for me to see these numbers, but I get that it's compromised. We're sitting up here trying to find a path forward.”

Supervisor Glenn Church, who was the lone dissenting vote, said he was uncomfortable with how Measure AA revenues were presented in the budget and objected to using those funds to backfill road maintenance costs.

“I don’t think that we’ve ever passed a perfect budget,” Lopez added. “I’m going to be frank: There were easier budgets, but never perfect.”