Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting on Tuesday seeking to clarify budget priorities for next year and provide year end totals for the last fiscal year.
The discussion brought up several items including roads, audits, economic development, funding a special election, and moving departments out of rented facilities and into vacant buildings.
At the meeting County Administrative Officer Roger Root stated, in addition to confirming priorities, the meeting was to get direction on “anything that’s a priority for the Board as we move into the adopted budget.”
Four of the five board members were there, with Anaiah Kirk absent.
After a presentation CAO Root encouraged detailed discussion by noting “we have no one working on large solar or any kind of projects that would be revenue generating.” He also detailed the county currently doesn’t have the staff that has time to manage a project like that. Root added he still has a goal of getting a financial dashboard available to the public in October.
District One Supervisor Mike Holland noted A-87 funds fluctuating and wanting it more consistent. District Five Supervisor Jaron Brandon noted that A-87 reimbursement follows cycles due to changes federal and state funding priorities.
Brandon further detailed A-87 funding has increased recently because agencies were directed to also bill for indirect costs to the county to support direct work the state requires and pays for. A presentation about A-87 funding was promised by CAO Root before the full budget is adopted in October. Later, both District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke and Sheriff David Vasquez made public comments about how A-87 funds have always gone up and down related to work needing to be done despite budget cuts.
After public comments Supervisor Holland put forward that extra money in the contingency fund could go to local roads. The rest of the board, during their turn to speak, agreed. Public Works Director Blossom Scott-Heim was on hand and stated she would work up a plan to divide potential money to each district to put toward roads based on several factors. She noted it has been a training year for the workers in the road department and that they will get faster.
Supervisor Holland asked Scott-Heim directly, “Let’s say the audits finally get done, because they haven’t been done in forever. Just ballpark, how much money will we get out of that? Total.” She replied “$30 million.” Scott-Heim further clarified, “There is a lot of money just waiting to come through when the audits are done.” Holland questioned if Tuolumne County Transportation Council (TCTC) audits have been done since 2019 and Scott-Heim detailed, Transportation Development Act (TDA) audits need to be done in addition to TCTC’s and it is behind by five years as well.
In January at a supervisors meeting the update about operations of the food bank overseen by the Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCAA) revealed that they did not receive federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for 2026 because the county was ineligible due to the lapse audits. Audits are overseen by the Tuolumne County Clerk and Auditor-Controller’s Office, an elected role. Details are in the news story here.
District Five Supervisor Jaron Brandon asked County Council Walter Wall if the Board can authorize a special election related to the citizen initiative to reopening the Station 56 in Mono Vista by increasing the local sales tax by 0.75%. Wall stated, “The Board of Supervisors can set special elections, on that particular topic I’d have to get back to you.” Brandon said he supported a commitment from the board related to qualified citizen measures that after getting enough signatures, the board would commit to funding a special election. There was no further support or discussion on the topic.
Brandon requested a list of highest interest bonds to determine if a direct short term loan from another agency could save money. He also detailed his thoughts about a large solar feasibility study and hiring a person to focus on grant supervision and economic development.
District Two Supervisor Ryan Campbell brought up Fee Recovery for fire stations. Assistant Chief for the Tuolumne-Calaveras CALFIRE Unit Nathan Gorman shared that he has information about it. He noted 138 organized fire departments are using it as a funding option in the state. A presentation is planned to the finance committee, according to Root “Sometime in August” and then a vendor needs to be scheduled to present the plan on how to process the fees to the board.
Supervisor Campbell noted how he thought the Visit Tuolumne Contract scope of work should change then went into the idea of getting county departments out of rented properties. The four board members were all on board with moving forward. Campbell listed the vacant buildings as the (old) jail, two vacant courthouses, the hospital with HHSA working on grants to use that, the fire station at Mona Vista. The Youth Center in Tuolumne City was noted as likely to be occupied pending hiring which is scheduled. He noted offices that rent as the public defender, Jamestown fire station portable living quarters, social services, public health, IT, and sheriff investigators as all in rented buildings. The Youth Center in Jamestown was mentioned but public comment clarified the rental contract ends in March with the center moving to the Jamestown Community Hall.
The Courthouse on Washington Street was noted by Root as being gutted and unusable currently. The California Public Contract Code (PCC) that requires competitive bidding and other legal requirements was stated by Root as what “really slows us down.” The discussion concluded with Root saying “I think with funding board approved we’ll be able to make some drastic changes this year.” A brief side note about Camp Justice noted no general fund money is being used for it.
A Recommended Budget was approved by the Board of Supervisors on June 30th as detailed here. The Recommended Budget provides interim spending authority until a budget is adopted, no later than October 2nd.
