Planning, preparing, presenting, adopting, monitoring, and adjusting a budget is a continuous, year-round process, and each year’s budget informs the process for the following year. Major steps generally follow the pattern below:
July - December: The newly-adopted budget is monitored and a quarterly report is presented, showing the results through September 30.
January - February: A mid-year report is presented, showing results through December 31, parameters for the following year’s budget are established, and community budget meetings are conducted.
March: The Board of Supervisors reviews the county’s strategic priorities and the County Administrative Office provides departments with instructions for preparing their budget requests.
April - May: Budget requests are submitted by departments, the Board of Supervisors conducts informational reviews with departments, and a 3rd quarterly report is prepared, showing results through March 31.
June: The County Administrative Office prepares a recommended budget for the Board of Supervisors to consider and the Board of Supervisors holds final public hearings and adopts the budget for the next fiscal year.