Santa Cruz County releases two-year proposed budget

Santa Cruz County has released its $1.6 billion proposed budget for 2019-2021, as well as an operational plan that includes 172 objectives.

It’s the county’s first-two year budget. A spokesman for the county wrote in a statement that overall spending will decrease by 12%, but general fund spending is expected to increase by 5%.

The objectives included in the 2019-2021 operational plan were put together by six cross-departmental committees, and some of them include plans to eliminate medical clinic wait times, resurface 25 miles of local roads, expand voter access and expand housing opportunities.

Measure G is providing funding for several of the proposed projects, including construction at LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park and the Focused Intervention Team pilot program. Other areas the county hopes to address are security and mental health services at detention facilities, adding DNA analysis to the Forensic Services Laboratory and a new Probation Service Center.

The proposed budget includes information on how the money is allocated as well as the county’s efforts at strategic and operational planning.

To read the full proposed budget and operational plan, you can find it at http://bit.ly/2PVKbtO.