County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors Approves $7 Billion Balanced Budget
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – Prudent spending for an uncertain world with ongoing and expanding client needs is the theme of the County’s Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Budget. The spending plan, recommended by County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith, M.D., J.D., was approved today by the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors.
The adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2018-19 (a decade after the Great Recession) authorizes spending $7 billion to include all services, operations, capital improvements and reserves. It increases the County’s capacity to offer new services and rebuild and strengthen the organization of 20,000 employees. The Budget reflects the County’s commitment to expand healthcare services with increased clinic access and hours, and enhanced patient services and hospital system access; it improves social services, as well as employment and benefits assistance; it also funds jail custody, and enhances capital projects and the County park system to improve visitor services.
The County of Santa Clara 2018-19 Adopted Budget includes a General Fund budget of approximately $3.5 billion, and covers all discretionary and many mandated services for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018. The County will add a net increase of 704 new full-time employee positions (including jobs added throughout the past year) for a total of 19,058 full-time equivalent positions.
The new budget reflects the Board’s priorities, including improvements in technology, data processing and facility acquisitions and upgrades, as well as procurement. This is a major investment that seeks to improve efficiencies and effectiveness throughout many departments, among them, the Clerk of the Board, the County Executive’s Office, Procurement, County Counsel, Registrar of Voters, Fleet and Facilities, Employee Services, Custody Health, Consumer and Environmental Protection, and the hospital system. The recommended information technology projects will improve the effectiveness of client services throughout the County. The budget also includes a prudent level of reserves to protect against anticipated Federal and State budget cuts.
“We are cautiously optimistic as we prepare for any positive opportunity that may present itself, and for any threats to the County’s mission, both apparent and unexpected,” said County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith, M.D., J.D.
“We’re fortunate to be living in relatively prosperous times,” said Board President Joe Simitian, “but there are still so many folks who need our help.” Simitian noted, “even in good times, there’s always more we wish we could do; so our budget becomes more than just an accounting document, it’s the place where we identify our priorities, make hard choices and express our values.”
