County leaders outline long-term strategy in 2026–27 budget overview

"San Bernardino County Update", yellow arrowhead and "SBCounty.gov

2026-27 Budget Overview text over a night cityscape; circular graphic shows a speaker addressing an audience and a smiling woman above. — *County residents are encouraged to participate in the annual budget process, which kicked off with the 2026–27 budget overview.*

On Tuesday, San Bernardino County executive leadership presented a fiscal year (FY) 2026–27 budget overview, outlining key economic trends, financial risks and a strategic approach to maintaining the organization’s long-term fiscal stability. The budget overview, delivered by CEO Luther Snoke, Chief Financial Officer Matthew Erickson, Assistant Executive Officer Gilbert Ramos and Deputy Executive Officer Robert Saldana, marked the beginning of the FY 2026-27 budget development process.

The overview emphasized a measured, data-driven approach as the county prepares for slower revenue growth, federal policy changes and ongoing economic uncertainty.

“We want to be strategic in how we use our resources,” said Snoke. “That means being responsible and consistent with our ongoing revenues, targeting one-time funding carefully, continuing to prioritize people and leverage technology, while maintaining a sustainable approach for the future.”

Slower revenue growth shapes budget outlook

Property tax revenue, the county’s primary discretionary funding source, is projected to grow by approximately 2.23 percent in 2026–27, which is below the 10-year average of 6.8 percent. The slowdown reflects reduced home sales, higher interest rates and a softening of activity in the logistics sector.

Industrial vacancy rates have increased and job growth has slowed, signaling broader economic cooling following several years of strong expansion.

“We take great pride in our financial health as an organization,” said Erickson. “While we are well-positioned, we recognize potential economic headwinds and are using that insight to prepare for the future.”

Federal policy updates

Ramos and Saldana highlighted potential impacts from federal legislation, including H.R. 1, which introduces changes to CalFresh and Medi-Cal that could affect both program administration and long-term county costs.

The legislation is expected to increase the county’s share of CalFresh administrative costs by an estimated $10.7 million annually. Additional provisions tied to payment error rates could create further financial exposure, with potential impacts ranging from minimal to significant, depending on state-level decisions.

Saldana said, “Approximately 30 percent of the county’s $10.6 billion in total funding comes from federal, state and other governmental sources, with many health and human services programs particularly affected by policy changes.”

H.R. 1 also includes changes to eligibility requirements and program rules that may affect how residents qualify for and maintain access to CalFresh and Medi-Cal services, with potential operational and fiscal impacts for the county as implementation continues.

Ramos said, “We’re aware of these changes and are working to assess, prepare and plan for their impacts, along with communicating with our staff, customers and state partners to ensure we’re ready to respond appropriately.”

Strategic planning focuses on stability

To address these uncertainties, the county is taking a cautious approach to financial planning, including:

Incorporating slower property tax growth into the five-year forecast.
Setting aside $10.7 million in funding to address federal policy changes, with an additional $10 million reserved for potential future needs.
Projecting $36.1 million in ongoing retirement cost savings.
Monitoring market volatility and potential impacts on long-term retirement costs.
Preparing for upcoming labor negotiations affecting approximately 59 percent of the county workforce.

County leaders will continue refining the budget in the coming months to ensure fiscal stability and the continued delivery of essential services for residents.

Next steps

Residents will have the opportunity to provide comments on the recommended FY 2026-27 budget before the final budget is adopted. To learn more, visit bit.ly/4bvdxdZ.

Key remaining dates in this year’s budget process include:

May 5: Budget workshop
May 19: Release of the recommended budget at main.sbcounty.gov/about-cao/finance-budget
June 9: Budget hearing and adoption.
December: Adopted budget book publication

For more information on the FY 2026–27 budget process, visit main.sbcounty.gov/about-cao/finance.

Additional County Update News – March 26, 2026