Budget Process

Planning, preparing, presenting, adopting, monitoring, and adjusting a budget is a continuous, year-round process, and each year’s budget informs the process for the following year. Major steps generally follow the pattern below:

  • July - December: The newly-adopted budget is monitored and a quarterly report is presented, showing the results through September 30.
  • January - February: A mid-year report is presented, showing results through December 31, parameters for the following year’s budget are established, and community budget meetings are conducted.
  • March: The Board of Supervisors reviews the county’s strategic priorities and the County Administrative Office provides departments with instructions for preparing their budget requests.
  • April - May: Budget requests are submitted by departments, the Board of Supervisors conducts informational reviews with departments, and a 3rd quarterly report is prepared, showing results through March 31.
  • June: The County Administrative Office prepares a recommended budget for the Board of Supervisors to consider and the Board of Supervisors holds final public hearings and adopts the budget for the next fiscal year.

Community Budget Meetings 

Each year the County holds an award-winning, interactive community budget meeting to connect sites in each of the five supervisorial districts in real time. This approach brings these all-important meetings to the far reaches of our rural county and allows the community to give their input in to the budget process before decisions are made on how funds will be allocated. Learn more about Community Budget Meetings