Proposed 2026-27 Budget

Overall Budget Summary

The Proposed Budget includes appropriations of $8,889,855, fully funded by Measure Q revenues, with no General Fund Contribution.

The Budget includes $399,550 in administrative and operational expenses to support program administration, including 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) Senior Administrative Analyst in OR3, as well as costs for staffing, technology and professional services. To maximize funding available for programmatic purposes, only actual administrative expenses are charged to the Measure.

The remaining funding supports direct investment in Measure Q priorities and defined funding allocations. The Budget includes $2,757,435 for County-administered grant programs, $1,438,218 allocated to incorporated cities, $1,438,217 for projects in unincorporated areas, and $1,438,217 in contributions to the Resource Conservation District and land stewardship partner for private lands projects that provide public benefit.

Administrative Demands: The County experiences ongoing administrative and program delivery demands to comply with Measure Q legal requirements, maintain transparency, build public trust, and ensure equitable access to grant-funds. These requirements remain significant in the inaugural year of the grant program launch and likely will continue as program refinement and implementation begins. While the workload remains substantial, the Proposed Budget maintains status quo staffing and resources to support compliance, reporting, and community engagement activities.

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27, existing administrative capacity supports grant program administration, direct allocations, and reporting requirements.

In the first year of the competitive grant program applications exceeded available funding by approximately 3.5 times. Future funding cycles for the grant program and County allocation informed by extensive local need, state and federal funding impacts and other financial constraints may continue to increase the demand on these limited funds, requiring thoughtful grant evaluation and project prioritization to maximize impact.

State and Federal Climate Change Strategy Impacts on Program Implementation: Climate-driven emergencies including wildfire, flooding, and drought generate recurring local impacts that may impact community needs and demands for the Measure Q grant program and direct allocation resources. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reform efforts are expected to change federal hazard mitigation and disaster recovery programs. These structural changes may reduce funding available to local jurisdictions for infrastructure disaster recovery and resilience projects.

At the same time, new State-level opportunities exist to accelerate local climate resilience investment through programs bolstered by California’s Proposition 4, highlighting the need for project prioritization and coordination among direct allocation entities and grant applicant organizations.

Within the context of these state and federal opportunities and challenges the strategic alignment with state and federal funding opportunities to maximize Measure Q’s ability to leverage additional resources will be critical. This is especially important as climate emergencies continue to disproportionately impact the county’s most vulnerable residents.