MONO COUNTY, Calif. (February 9, 2026) – The Mono County Board of Supervisors urges Governor Gavin Newsom to revise his January 2026 state budget proposal to protect essential services and avoid shifting billions of dollars in new costs onto counties and local taxpayers.

In a letter sent to the Governor’s office, county leaders warn that the proposed budget places California’s safety net at risk by failing to provide counties with the resources needed to deliver critical services residents rely on every day, including health care, behavioral health, homelessness programs, and in-home care for seniors and people with disabilities.

“Counties are on the front lines of delivering critical services, especially in rural communities like Mono County where resources are already stretched,” said Supervisor Jennifer Kreitz, Chair of the Mono County Board of Supervisors. “Shifting additional costs to local governments puts essential programs and the people who depend on them at risk. We are asking the State to partner with counties, not pass the burden down to them.” 

Under the Governor’s proposal, counties would face significant new fiscal pressures from multiple directions at once, including:

• Federal H.R. 1 impacts, which shift billions of dollars in Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and indigent care costs to counties without removing the mandates to provide those services.
• Insufficient funding for homelessness response, including the failure to fully fund Round 7 of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program.
• Proposed cost shifts in In-Home Supportive Services that would increase county costs and threaten care for seniors and people with disabilities.
• No sustained funding for Proposition 36 implementation, despite clear voter direction and growing local public safety and treatment demands.

For Mono County, these combined impacts would mean reduced capacity to fund local behavioral health and public health services, increased pressure on the County’s General Fund, and fewer resources available for housing, emergency response, and other essential community needs.

Counties deliver core state-mandated services to millions of Californians every day. When funding falls short, the consequences are immediate and local — longer wait times for care, fewer housing options for people experiencing homelessness, increased strain on rural hospitals and clinics, and higher risks for vulnerable residents.

“Mono County is committed to being a responsible and collaborative partner with the State,” continued Chair Kreitz. “We are asking for a final budget that recognizes the realities faced by rural counties and provides sustainable funding so we can continue to serve our residents effectively and responsibly.”

The Mono County Board of Supervisors is calling on the Governor and Legislature to work with counties during budget negotiations to restore funding, reject cost shifts, and ensure the final 2026-27 state budget protects Californians who depend on the safety net.

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