Topic
Recent budget coverage from Humboldt County, including local decisions, public meetings, and civic updates.
Council action on May 5 moved the Halvorsen Park Trail Project into construction by awarding the contract to GR Sundberg, Inc. and setting aside $400,000 for the work.
Finance proposed shifting $1.7 billion from the 2025-26 school settle-up into the Prop. 98 rainy day fund, a move lawmakers and the LAO questioned at a budget hearing.
State Student Aid Commission officials told lawmakers California is not on track to launch the new federal short-term training aid program on time.
The June 9 agenda also would move $2 million from the Tax Loss Reserve Fund and authorize voluntary furloughs as the county finalizes its FY 2026-27 budget.
Staff told the council the voter-approved tax now covers about 17 meters, far fewer than at its launch, and council members asked the Energy Committee to review whether it should be reduced or eliminated.
The unanimous June 2 vote locks in a $10 million water-distribution project, earthquake repairs and a planned draw on reserves while keeping staffing flat.
At the June 2 meeting, multiple speakers urged the city to help fund a Regional Climate Action Plan coordinator or program manager position tied to implementation work.
Council signaled support for a per-unit fee structure and simpler renewals for the residential rental inspection program, which staff said costs about $115,000 a year but brings in only about $31,000.
CDTFA’s May Revision plan would tax electronically delivered pre-written software and software-as-a-service starting Jan. 1, 2027, but industry groups urged lawmakers to reject the change.
The Assembly budget subcommittee heard a proposal to make a temporary cap on business tax credits permanent, with the administration projecting hundreds of millions in new revenue and industry groups warning it could hurt innovation.
At an Assembly budget hearing, the Employment Development Department also asked for $20 million more for EDD Next document management work.
The council adopted a new fee schedule for 2026-27 that raises most building fees 2.9% and changes many permit charges to a valuation-based model.
Lawmakers pressed the Secretary of State’s office on rising security costs and whether federal election-security money could cover voter-facing work, but the budget subcommittee took no action.
A budget subcommittee hearing exposed a policy dispute over whether to fund the Bay Delta program now or wait until the updated water-quality plan is formally adopted.
Finance officials advanced a maximum $125 million climate-bond contribution for the 161-acre shoreline acquisition, but lawmakers raised equity concerns over whether Proposition 4 money should go to park-poor communities instead.
A joint Assembly oversight hearing raised questions about whether California’s crisis line system is fully meeting its promise, while DHCS disclosed more than 74,000 988 contacts in March and said unanswered contacts go to out-of-state backup centers.
Staff said the city is considering a 2026 ballot renewal for Measure G, along with an advisory question aimed at boosting road funding.
City staff said Fortuna faces a structural general fund deficit and more than $1.9 million in lost purchasing power, while polling showed the tax proposal could clear a majority with more information but remains vulnerable to opposition messaging.
The council unanimously chose an option that opens Fortuna Transit to the general public, adds a full-time supervisor and moves ahead with RideCo scheduling and call-center support.
Council members approved a USDA Rural Development application after staff said several patrol cars have more than 100,000 miles and two can no longer be repaired.
The council voted 5-0 to move a local sales tax proposal onto the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot and asked staff to return with the ballot question and follow-up legislation.
AB 108 cleared the Assembly on May 7, authorizing one-time emergency grants for hospitals at risk of closing.
Assembly budget lawmakers heard competing proposals for scaling wildfire mitigation, including whether California should keep relying on large subsidies or shift toward smaller grants, loans and insurance-linked incentives.
The Revenue and Taxation Committee sent the corporate tax bill to Appropriations on a 7-0 vote after supporters said it could raise $3 billion to $4 billion a year and opponents warned about compliance and retaliation risks.
