Stockton, CA – San Joaquin County has released a proposed $3 billion structurally-balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, which reflects a $198.6 million increase from the previous year. Overall, $2.4 billion, or 79.8% of the budget is provided by departmental revenue, including State and Federal funding and charges for services; $476.8 million or 15.8% is funded by General Purpose Revenue, and $133.8 million or 4.4% is funded by non-General Fund balances.

The 2025-2026 Special Districts Proposed Budget totals $63.9 million, reflecting an increase of $2.4 million from the 2024-2025 Adopted Budget, and includes the Special Districts administered by the Public Works Department and the Parks and Recreation Division of the General Services Department.

“The 2025–2026 Proposed Budget reflects our unwavering commitment to fiscal responsibility and strategic investment in our community. By maintaining a structurally balanced budget, we ensure that resources are allocated effectively to support the Board's priorities, including public safety, infrastructure, and essential services. This approach not only addresses current needs but also positions San Joaquin County for sustainable growth and resilience in the face of future economic challenges,” said Sandy Regalo, San Joaquin County Administrator.

2025-2026 Proposed Budget Funding Sources
The 2025-2026 Proposed Budget is supported with the following estimates of available funding. The County is projecting an increase in property tax revenue for 2025-2026 of 5% from the 2024-2025 year-end estimates. Sales Tax is projected to decrease by 2.8% from the 2024-2025 Adopted Budget.

2025-2026 Proposed Budget Total Expenditures
The 2025-2026 Proposed Budget totals $3,022,230,738 and includes the General Fund, Special Revenue Funds, Capital Project Funds, and four Enterprise operations. The following graph illustrates total County expenditures by functional area.

2025-2026 Proposed Budget Net Costs to the County
Net County Cost is the amount of discretionary resources allocated to a department or program. This is also referred to as the General Fund contribution. The General Fund contribution totals $476.8 million and is distributed by functional area as shown in the following figure.

• Law & Justice: $286.3 million, an increase of $27.8 million.
• General Government: $66.3 million, a decrease of $2.3 million.
• Human Services: $48.4 million, an increase of $2.9 million.
• Health Services: $40.0 million, an increase of $757,943.
• Environmental Protection: $18.7 million, an increase of $1.9 million.
• Parks & Recreation: $10.7 million, an increase of $2.1 million.
• Contingencies: $5 million, an increase of $760,954.
• Education: $723,678, a decrease of $96,679.
• Capital Maintenance: $705,191, a decrease of $1.1 million.
• Roads & Facilities: No Net County Cost.

Maintains Fiscal Responsibility and Promotes Organizational Innovation

• Continues a structurally balanced budget totaling $3 billion for the twelfth consecutive year. No prior year General Fund balance is used to fund the budget.
• Sets a Reserve for Contingencies balance of $151.1 million to comply with the Board's policy of setting the balance at five percent of total expenditures.
• Funds the full 5% contribution toward the unfunded retirement liability at a cost of $34 million, with a General Fund share of $20.1 million.
• Includes funding for all negotiated labor increases. The largest group of employees will receive a 3%, increase in July 2025.
• Adds staffing in Public Works to shift landfill operations from contract operators, and the Department plans to redirect tonnage from Foothill to North County landfill, for a total estimated savings of $7 million annually.

Reduces Unsheltered Homelessness

• Expands the SJ CARES program, a Countywide multidisciplinary team approach to address homelessness in San Joaquin County, to provide case management services through a Whole Person Care-funded team linking homeless individuals to local services in partnership with Public Health Services. In 2025-2026, this team will begin billing Medi-Cal for services as part of the effort to maximize revenue.
• Allocates funding to purchase safe camping equipment to address the immediate needs of the most vulnerable homeless people in the County.

Supports Public Safety

• Funds Correctional Health positions added in 2024-2025 to adequately meet patient medical and mental health needs and ensure compliance with statutory requirements and standards of care of individuals in County correctional facilities. In 2025-2026 Behavioral Health Services will assume primary oversight and coordination of mental health services within the County Jail.
• Continues funding for a Countywide Cold Case Task Force, managed by the District Attorney, to establish a digital tracking process, supplement testing for DNA purposes, and provide training to implement new investigative techniques.
• Adds positions in Public Defender's Office to address increasing caseloads, which are substantially higher than nationally recommended standards.

Invests in Capital Projects
The 2025-2026 budget includes funding for design, engineering, and construction for new projects as follows:

• San Joaquin Be Well Campus, a transformational behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment facility, serving as the cornerstone of a more compassionate, coordinated, and effective behavioral health system in the County.
• Sheriff's Office Training Facility consists of pre-engineered metal facilities for departmental training objectives.
• Old Court House Demolition of the existing facility located at 222 E. Weber Avenue and costs associated with the Public Defender facility planning in its place.
• Safe Camping site to accommodate safe camping for unhoused individuals in the County.
• Solid Waste Transfer Station Replacement facility for the Lovelace Transfer Station for the Public Works Department.

• Makes significant investments in the County's parks and recreation facilities to support irrigation improvements at eight community parks, the installation of smart restrooms at five community parks, the third phase of the South County Regional Park Project, and the development of a comprehensive Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan.

• Allocates opioid settlement funds toward the construction of the SJ Be Well Campus, to reimburse the cost of Nursing Navigator professional services, operational expenses for the Opioid Coalition; and for Correctional Health and Public Health staffing.

“I'm deeply grateful to our dedicated staff for crafting a fiscally responsible plan that advances the Board's strategic goals while ensuring the long-term sustainability of County government,” Regalo concluded.

Further deliberation and adoption of the Final Budget is expected at the next Board of Supervisors meeting on June 17, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. where public comment is welcome. To review the full budget proposal or for additional budget highlights and details, please visit the website.

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