OAKLAND — In a move countering the austerity measures of the state and federal government, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $5.1 billion budget last week that avoided public employee layoffs and cuts to critical safety net programs for seniors, the poor and immigrants by tapping reserve funds.
The budget is an acknowledgment that the county can no longer count on federal funding and will have to bear the burden of programs like food stamps and food banks, Medicaid and mental health intervention programs and hundreds of nonprofits, which have seen their funding slashed in Sacramento or Washington, D.C.
“We’ve got to be fiscally responsible. We have to make a tough call if the county goes bankrupt or if we don’t have money for vulnerable safety net services, wherever they might be in the county, that’s on us,” Supervisor Nate Miley said at a budget meeting last Thursday. “We try to be fiduciary and prudent in how we approach these matters.”
The county had faced a $68 million funding gap at the start of the budget season this year, caused by cuts to its two main funding sources; approximately two-thirds of its budget comes from the state or federal government, according to County Administrator Susan Muranishi. The county was able to close that gap with $22 million in one-time strategies, including savings from the previous year, combined with $45.9 million in ongoing revenue adjustments, such as eliminating vacant staff positions. A budget report said these savings would not impact services or result in layoffs.
“The final budget highlights the alignment of our program investments with the county’s Vision 2036’s foundational principles of equity, access and fiscal stewardship,” Muranishi said. “Key countywide and multi-agency investments include $1.8 billion in salary and employee benefits for a diverse workforce of nearly 10,500 employees, nearly a billion dollars in funding for direct client services provided by over 270 community-based providers, including more than $134 million for the Alameda Health System.”
The California Legislature is preparing to finalize a $321 billion budget bill that closes a $12 billion gap by using $13.5 billion from its rainy-day fund, cash reserves and cutting services for undocumented immigrants.
At the federal level, the Senate narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” Tuesday morning, which contains the largest cuts to America’s social safety net in decades. If approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, the bill would strip approximately $880 billion in funding from Medicaid, a 20% cut to food stamps and reduce homeless assistance grants by more than half a billion dollars.
These cuts come as an economic analysis by the Alameda County Administrator’s Office concluded the economy’s growth is expected to slow as “tariff-driven price hikes” will sow doubts in consumers’ confidence, according to county budget documents.
Though the county Board of Supervisors retained spending in critical areas of public assistance, some members of the public expressed doubt about the county’s appropriation of roughly $269 million for infrastructure improvements at Santa Rita Jail that was approved on June 3, especially as the county faces hurdles in providing services to vulnerable populations. The board voted 4-1, with Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas as the lone “no” vote.
“I hope that we get a chance to comment on how big chunks of our money are spent, including the quarter of a billion that went into the jail,” said Alison Monroe, a member of Families of the Seriously Mentally Ill, about the lack of transparency in the budget process. “It’s very frustrating to try to get people to participate in a 500-page document that is only discussed in special meetings.”
With the proposed budget mostly squared away on Tuesday, however, the supervisors used the budget meeting to discuss how to best use funds from Measure W, a half-cent sales tax voters passed in 2024 to raise funding for homelessness and rehousing initiatives, although the money can be used for any purpose because it is a sales tax. With an expected annual revenue of $150 million, numerous supervisors said they wanted to use the funding to shore up the county’s efforts to stem hunger and provide services for seniors.
“We know that specifically ARPA funding for four specific food programs are coming to an end … I don’t see funding included in this budget for that, and I know that comes out to nearly $1.9 million,” Supervisor Elisa Marquez said. “I want to ask that we could take this up with the Measure W discussion, because we know that food insecurity continues to be a major issue in the community.”
The board of supervisors did not appropriate funding from Measure W on Tuesday, but will convene again in July to discuss possible uses for the funding as the state and federal budgets are approved.