Humboldt County supervisors discuss budget, deficit

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Monday held two public hearings for the proposed county budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year beginning Thursday, June 18. The meetings represented the last opportunity for public and staff input, as well as board debate and changes prior to the Thursday meeting in which the budget is slated to be adopted.

Assistant County Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer Jessica Maciel presented the proposed budget. The year's proposed budget, as it stood Monday afternoon, totals $657.8 million.

That total represents an increase of roughly $28 million in expenditures, according to the staff report. The budget also preserves a $12 million structural deficit, with only a "nominal reduction of just over $11,000 from the structural deficit in the prior year," though Maciel noted that "we have made significant progress" in addressing that deficit, adding that the 2023-24 budget contained an $18 million deficit.

In the proposed budget, County Administrative Officer Elishia Hayes notes that "negative fund balances in Health and Human Services, Roads and Aviation remain a significant concern." Maciel noted that her recommendation to close the persistent deficit would be program reductions.

Maciel noted that the budget legally requires a simple majority vote as it is written at the time of its public hearing, but that a four-fifths vote is required to approve any changes after the hearing, and Humboldt County has "traditionally verbally reviewed the final change at the public hearings" and thus required a four-fifths approval. That may be a potential sticking point, as outgoing 5th District Supervisor Steve Madrone indicated early that he would not be voting for the budget as it stands, and other supervisors indicated, at various points, that they may be absent on Thursday.

Madrone told those present that he would not vote on a budget unless approximately $21,000 in funding to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, used to maintain the county's Flock license plate reader cameras, was cut.

"I don't support Flock cameras and mass surveillance," Madrone said. "… I've asked the sheriff to consider removing that from the budget and from our properties, but he has refused to do so."

"We've had (Flock Safety cameras) for three years. Why is it so important now, and why can't we work with the sheriff?" 1st District Supervisor Rex Bohn objected.

Bohn proposed that the board potentially approve the budget as proposed with no additional changes, allowing the board to move forward with a simple majority.

"I'm sure … my colleagues have heard the same thing I've heard from community members about - we continue to spend money that we don't have," 2nd District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell said, noting that she would struggle with voting on a budget that preserved a large structural deficit.

"I don't feel good about the situation of this budget," Bushnell said.

4th District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo proposed a potential county-wide reduction that would force all departments to cut a portion of their budget, noting that Eureka had implemented a similar measure during her time on the Eureka City Council.

Humboldt Library Foundation board member Elizabeth Murguia was the only public commenter, noting that a significant reduction in funds will necessitate library hours being scaled back and library staffing reductions.

Ultimately, the board set Thursday, June 18, as the date to adopt the budget in a special session and to adopt mandatory workshops with required attendance from department heads to attempt to close the county's $12 million structural deficit.

Arroyo made sure to emphasize that the entirety of the board would likely be required to pass the budget and asked all board members to confirm that they would be in attendance, saying: "I think we all need to be at this budget to make it go."

Learn more

The entirety of the Board of Supervisors' two public hearings can be found at https://tinyurl.com/r57nsjax. Additional information on Monday's meeting can be found at https://tinyurl.com/mpjwdpkm.

Humboldt County's proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget is available at http://www.humboldtgov.org/247/Budget.

Robert Schaulis can be reached at 707-441-0585.

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