Inyo County California

An interactive, digital version of the entire Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Inyo County CAO Recommended Budget is now available online through an interactive, online format at https://2526budget.inyo.gov. While this is the second time Inyo County is making its Budget Book available in this format, it’s being hosted on a new platform this year, OpenGov. The goal of the digital budget book remains the same: to make the government budgeting process more transparent and easier to understand – from start to finish.

The book’s release is an opportunity for the public to review the proposed $169 million spending plan before it’s brought to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, September 9 for the start of budget hearings at 9 a.m. The Board may continue the hearings for up to 14 days if necessary. At the conclusion of the hearings, the Board will be asked to approve the CAO Recommended Budget – with additions, subtractions, or any other changes the Board desires – and direct that a final version be brought forward for approval on September 23.

In advance of the September 9 hearing, the public has the chance to dig deeper into the figures, processes, guidelines, methodology, and department requests that went into crafting the FY 2025-2026 Recommended Budget, as well as learn about past successes, current challenges, and future goals. The digital Budget Book also stands on its own as a general overview of Inyo County’s workforce, organizational structure, fiscal policies, priorities, culture, and values. 

Publication of the Budget Book – as is the case every year – is the culmination of many weeks of analysis, calculation, research, meetings, planning, writing, and review by department heads and staff countywide. Completion of the Recommended Budget is further owed to the painstaking efforts of the Inyo County Budget Team – consisting of Auditor-Controller Amy Shepherd, Assistant County Administrator Denelle Carrington, Budget Analyst Kelsey Gonzalez, Deputy County Administrator Meaghan McCamman, Assistant Personnel Director Keri Oney, and County Administrator Nate Greenberg – with assistance from Administration support staff.

The finished product reflects the Budget Team’s efforts to achieve financial resiliency and stability in the face of fiscal uncertainty and constantly shifting landscape at the state and federal levels.

“Inyo County remains in a stable financial position, which sees only minor fluctuations in both revenues and expenditures each year. While in some respects this constrains the organization, it also ensures a modest approach to budgeting which requires us to focus on priorities while living within our means. Over the years, and again this year, we are doing just that, while also continuing to steadily grow reserves that ensure organizational stability exists,” CAO Nate Greenberg writes in the budget introduction. “Achieving this delicate balance is not easy, but departments countywide should be proud of the fact that their efforts will allow us to preserve essential services and programs, fund capital improvement projects, and make critical investments in our communities - in the face of ever-changing circumstances and threats to resources no less.”

The budget is balanced, as required by law, and relies on an estimated $4.5 million in Fund Balance (essentially, money unspent in FY 2024-2025) to close budget gaps and avoid reduction of services. Auditor-Controller Shepherd will certify the exact amount of Fund Balance available at the September 9 hearing, at which time the Board will have additional decisions to make if the actual total comes in over or under $4.5 million. In the event of excess Fund Balance, the Budget Team will present recommendations for its use, including placing the money in various “rainy day” funds and trusts, or funding additional priorities not included in the Recommended Budget.

The Budget Book details the anticipated revenue and proposed expenditures for each of the County’s 19 departments and 160 budget units for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year, which runs from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. (On June 10, the Board of Supervisors adopted a modified version of the 2024-2024 Board Approved Budget to serve as the Preliminary 2025-2026 Fiscal Year Budget until a final version could be presented and approved this fall.)

The public is encouraged to take part in the September 9 budget hearings. 

This meeting is accessible to the public both in person and, for convenience, via Zoom webinar. The Zoom webinar is accessible to the public at https://zoom.us/j/868254781. The meeting may also be accessed by telephone at the following numbers: (669) 900-6833; (346) 248-7799; (253) 215-8782; (929) 205-6099; (301) 715-8592; (312) 626-6799. Webinar ID: 868 254 781. In the event that the remote participation connection malfunctions for any reason, the Board of Supervisors reserves the right to conduct the meeting without remote access. Regardless of remote access, written public comments, limited to 250 words or fewer, may be emailed to the Assistant Clerk of the Board at boardclerk@inyocounty.us.

The budget can also be accessed via the Inyo County websites at https://www.inyocounty.us/services/county-administrators-office/county-budget-analysis. In addition to being available online, the proposed budget documents are available for public review at the Clerk of the Board’s Office, 224 N. Edwards St., Independence, during business hours.

For more information, contact the Assistant Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, P.O. Drawer N, Independence, CA 93526, dellis@inyocounty.us, and (760) 878-0373.