Humboldt County departments outline budget requests ahead of projected deficit

EUREKA, Calif. — Several Humboldt County departments provided their annual budget reports as the county face a potential budget deficit in the next fiscal year.

"We all know we're struggling with a budget deficit and we're going to try and work our way through this," Humboldt County District 5 Supervisor Steve Madrone said.

The county's midyear budget review in February reveals a projected $12.9 million deficit. Monday's meeting included presentations from the following departments:

• Assessor
• Aviation
• Child Support Services
• District Attorney
• Probation
• Clerk, Recorder and Elections
• Planning & Building
• Human Resources
• Agricultural Commissioner
• Public Defender

"We've submitted a request for $204,000. In additional funding, we are we if we don't receive that there's a potential of losing some staff," Humboldt County Assessor Howard Lahaie said.

Preventing layoffs was a common theme for many departments as the county attempts to close the budget deficit.

Humboldt County's probation department points out that their operating costs have increased.

"The cost of staff has been greater in the past year due to due to a high vacancy rate, particularly in the juvenile hall, which has necessitated both probation officers and JCOS to work overtime, said Interim Chief Probation Officer Coral Sanders.

The Office of Elections is one of the departments asking the county for additional funding. The department says the extra funding is necessary as they begin implementing the Voter's Choice Act.

"The voters choice act is the other big change that's happening in the County of Humboldt. We're moving towards this process for a myriad of reasons, the primary one being a lack of ada, facilities in the county," said Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters Juan Pablo Cervantes said.

An additional $192,448 is being requested by the Office of Elections with the goal to have it implemented before the primary election next year.

The next department budget meeting is scheduled for Monday. May 15 at 9 a.m. The following nine county departments will be giving their presentations at that meeting:

• County Counsel
• UC Cooperative Extension
• Treasure-Tax Collector
• Auditor-Controller
• County Administrative Office
• Library
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Public Works
• Sheriff's Office