Sonoma County supervisors earlier this week approved a $2.90 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, boosting spending while setting aside tens of millions of dollars to prepare for expected cuts in federal and state support.

In a statement released by the county public affairs office on Monday, officials said the spending plan aims to preserve core services, including health care, food aid, public safety and infrastructure, as local governments face uncertainty over future funding.

“This budget reflects our commitment to protecting essential services while preparing for significant financial challenges beyond our control,” said Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We worked hard to prioritize essential services, health care, food assistance, public safety, and infrastructure while being responsible with taxpayer dollars. Our goal is to continue to provide core services, and ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

The adopted budget increases spending by 4.3% from the current fiscal year and reduces the county workforce by the equivalent of 42 full-time positions, leaving a total workforce of 4,457 positions. County officials said most of the reductions come from allowing time-limited positions to expire rather than eliminating core services.

A major focus of the budget is preparing for the effects of H.R. 1, a federal law that changes eligibility requirements for Medi-Cal and CalFresh while creating new administrative responsibilities for counties.

County officials said they committed more than $70 million over three years to respond to those changes. The plan includes $33 million to hire more eligibility workers, expand employment and training programs, and cover increased administrative costs. Another $38 million has been reserved to address potential future needs related to food insecurity and impacts on uninsured health care services.

The budget also allocates $27 million for road repairs and transportation projects as Sonoma County waits for more than $30 million in federal and state reimbursements tied to previous disaster recovery work.

County officials said uncertainty surrounding the final state budget and the full impact of H.R. 1 led them to delay some staffing and funding decisions until later this year, preserving flexibility as more information becomes available.