Sacramento County has released its proposed $8.9 billion budget, setting the stage for debate over what programs and positions should be cut as officials work to close a projected $101 million deficit.
County spokesperson Kim Nava said the deficit projection totaled $101 million.
“In January we had a projected deficit of $101 million, which was quite a deficit,” Nava said. “And roughly half of that was because of the impacts of HR1, also known as the Big Beautiful Bill.”
Nava said the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors directed department heads to reduce their budgets by 2.5%. According to Nava, most departments met those reduction targets by eliminating vacant positions.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the proposed budget involves the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
The recommended budget includes cuts to 15 positions, 14 of which are filled. Nava said an earlier plan called for 32 positions to be cut, but the county later restored 17 jobs.
In a Facebook video this week, District Attorney Thien Ho said the cuts could reverse progress made on public safety and encouraged people to contact the county to keep the 10 positions belonging to the Criminal Misdemeanor Unit.
Nava said department heads decided how reductions are implemented within their offices.
“Ultimately, department heads have discretion in how they choose to implement reductions within their offices. And the district attorney’s budget relied primarily on the deletion of filled positions to meet the reduction target with no other substantial cost saving measures that were identified,” Nava said.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is also facing reductions under the proposal.
Budget documents show the department is proposing to eliminate its problem-oriented policing teams, gang units, homeless outreach team and marine patrol unit. County officials said deputies assigned to positions being eliminated would be reassigned elsewhere in the department.
“The sheriff was able to provide a landing place for positions that were filled that needed to be deleted,” Nava said.
ABC10 reached out to both the District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office. Both told ABC10 they expect to release statements on the proposed cuts next week.
County officials are encouraging public participation as the budget process moves forward.
“We are very transparent in this process and really want the public. This is their budget too, and we want to hear from them,” Nava said.
The first budget hearing is scheduled for June 10 at 9:30 a.m. at the county’s downtown office.
More from ABC10: What Sacramento residents could lose under proposed city budget cuts