Santa Clara County’s Board of Supervisors approved a $6.5 billion operating budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year at their June 16 meeting with a focus on affordable housing, services for homeless, jail operations and infrastructure.
The budget includes all services, operations, capital improvements and reserves, according to a press release from county staff. The general fund budget is $3.4 billion, and covers all discretionary and many mandated services for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
The county will add a net increase of 480 new full-time employment (FTE) positions, including those added throughout the past year, for a total of 18,354 positions.
“We adopted a balanced budget that reflects our continued commitment to expanding services and replenishing our workforce, both impacted budget cuts over 10 years,” Board President Dave Cortese said. “We are also bolstering our reserves as we brace for looming threats of federal and state cuts, and a possible economic downturn within the next couple of years.”
The budget includes an additional $14 million to provide expanded services to the homeless, supplementary housing programs and supportive housing service reserves.
It also includes an additional $66 million into reserves to protect the county from federal and state economic threats.
