Public Hearings Set Next Week on San Diego County Budget

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will hold two public hearings next week on the county's recommended $8.11 billion budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

The hearings will take place at 9 a.m. Monday and 5:30 p.m. Thursday. They can be attended in person in room 310 at the County Administration Center located at 1600 Pacific Highway in San Diego.

Supervisors released the proposed budget last month, with plans for major investments to address homelessness, mental health and substance use disorder, the criminal justice system and core services such as roads, fire protection and parks.

The budget plan is a 10.1% increase from last year's and is projected to add an estimated 490 new government jobs.

According to the proposal, the increase in both budget and staff will go toward supporting ``new and expanded social service programs and increasing caseloads to assist vulnerable populations.''

County officials said the proposal has an equity tool factored in, intended to make sure historically vulnerable or underserved communities get their fair share of county dollars.

The full plan can be viewed at http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/auditor/pdf/caoplan_23-25.pdf.

Residents can also provide e-comments on the recommended budget through June 21 on the county's community engagement budget page, https://engage.sandiegocounty.gov/budget.

Budget deliberations and a final vote are scheduled for June 27.

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