Del Mar Times |

County supervisors hear communities’ priorities, calls for money at budget hearings

Supervisors heard input from community members on the county’s $8.5 billion recommended budget at public hearings this week — including calls to fund climate action, the arts, food aid and help with homelessness.

This year’s recommended budget is a 3.9 percent increase from last year, with funding priorities from behavioral health and homelessness to housing and public safety, while adding $300 million and 72 county jobs, for a total of more than 20,400 full-time staff.

At the first budget hearing, held before supervisors’ regular board meeting Tuesday morning, many of the dozen people who spoke asked for continued funding of programs focused on arts, nutrition and homelessness.

Others called for more money toward climate action, immigration and youth behavioral health — needs they contend aren’t currently being met.

“We all know that budgets reflect our collective values and priorities, and as a county, we have an opportunity to help improve the well being of this County’s children by dedicating the necessary funding for a modern, high quality behavioral health system of care for our youth,” said Kristina Halmai-Gillan, clinical innovation consultant for YMCA Youth & Family Services in San Diego.

Supervisors heard from nearly twice as many people at the second hearing Thursday evening, and much of the feedback shared there echoed what was said previously.

Among their asks was that the county’s year-old Arts and Culture Commission get funding to coordinate, implement and carry out the initiatives identified in its strategic plan.

At least 10 people also asked to keep funding the ¡Más Fresco!, or More Fresh, program — a special program for CalFresh recipients that earned them an extra rebate on dollars they spent on fresh fruits and vegetables but that was suspended when state funding ran out last month.

The budget is available for review and comment until 5 p.m. on June 13. Comments can be submitted online or by emailing [email protected].

The revised budget will be available to the public after the comment period closes Thursday.

Budget deliberations and adoption, where supervisors will discuss the public input received and any requested amendments, are scheduled to occur during their next meeting on Tuesday, June 25.

If approved, the budget will go into effect July 1 and determine most public spending through June 2025.

To learn more, visit engage.sandiegocounty.gov/countybudget24-26.