Auditor Presents Fund Balance Options; Board Approves Two Fleet Purchases and Reserves Remainder

Auditor‑Controller Krista Peterson presented the year‑end fund balance Sept. 15, reporting an ending fund balance of about $6.7M with $1,570,000 available after policy reserves. The board discussed possible uses including PERS prepayment, deferred maintenance, IT modernization, vehicle replacements and economic development support.

Probation Chief Gonzales emphasized operational needs and officer safety in requesting replacement vehicles; the probation chief said some department vehicles were more than 10 years old with over 150,000 miles. The sheriff also asked for continued fleet management to retire older high‑mileage vehicles. Supervisors debated balancing one‑time capital needs versus ongoing labor or programmatic costs.

The board agreed to a compromise: authorize one vehicle for probation and one for the sheriff at this time and move the remainder of the available fund balance into the strategic priorities reserve for further consideration and midyear review. Staff said vacancy contingency and other budget contingencies may also cover some near‑term public safety hiring costs.