Today, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the County budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. The $330.7 million spending plan includes a 10.3% increase over the 2021/2022 budget, including additional funding to meet critical needs or our community and priority objectives set by the Board of Supervisors in the areas of fiscal stability, emergency preparedness, economic development, broadband, cannabis, housing, homelessness, and recreation.
“The budget represents our mission in action,” said County Executive Officer Alison Lehman. “The staffing and services outlined here are aligned with the service needs of our community.”
With revenues totaling $322.5 million, the County’s spending plan includes the use of approximately $8 million in fund balances to help meet those critical needs and priorities, such as a major housing project, increased behavioral health services, solid waste infrastructure improvements at the McCourtney Road Transfer Station, additional resources for cannabis enforcement, and the first year of budgeted recreation planning and projects.
According to Chief Fiscal Officer Martin Polt, Nevada County is in a financial position to weather potential threats, including a recession.
“The Board’s budget policies have kept us in good financial shape,” Polt said. “We’ve continued to look to long-range financial planning and proactive fiscal management in our effort to serve our community. These policies have served us well in the past, and we are ready to face the economic uncertainties of the future.”
The 2022-23 budget includes 844 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. While staffing has increased in this year’s budget, staffing levels remain 20% below pre-Great Recession levels. Nevada County’s staffing levels remain lower per 100,000 residents than comparable counties such as Butte, El Dorado, Mendocino, Napa, Sutter, Tehama, and Yuba.
Today’s budget adoption is the culmination of a months-long fiscal planning process that includes the adoption of board objectives, input from all County departments, County committees and commissions, budget subcommittee meetings with the Board Chair and Vice-Chair, and a public budget hearing.
To learn more about Nevada County’s budget process, see the County Budget Portal at www.NevadaCountyCA.gov/Budget.
