Thursday, February 6, 2025

This week, CSAC submitted letters to the Governor’s Administration, legislative leadership, and budget committee chairs in both houses offering comments to inform budget conversations throughout the spring and summer. These letters detail how CSAC and California’s counties are ready to partner with the Legislature and the Governor’s Administration to ensure the state’s budget plan is fiscally responsible while equipping county leaders with the tools, funding, and flexibility needed for counties to deliver critical services for California residents.

Read: CSAC’s letter to Governor Gavin Newsom

Read: CSAC’s letter to the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review

Read: CSAC’s letter to the Assembly Budget Committee

Want to learn more about how the Governor’s 2025-26 state budget proposal affects county governments? Read the Budget Action Bulletin prepared by the CSAC Legislative Affairs team, which highlights the most significant information for county governments.

Throughout 2025, CSAC will advocate on behalf of counties to empower and elevate our collective county voice. CSAC legislative affairs staff will work diligently with the administration and state lawmakers, as well as in coalition with other local government partners, to achieve a prudent budget plan that enables counties to continue to support all Californians.

What are the next steps for the state budget process?

In the coming days and weeks, budget committees in the Assembly and Senate will continue to hold hearings to review the Governor’s budget proposals and craft the legislative vehicles that will eventually become the 2025 Budget Act. Most budget committee work is done through subcommittees that focus on specific policy areas. A list of subcommittees by policy area and their hearing schedules are available on the Senate and Assembly budget committee websites. Budget negotiations will begin in earnest later this spring, particularly after the Governor releases his May Revision budget proposal in mid-May, with the tight constitutional deadline for the Legislature to pass the budget bill(s) a scant month later, by June 15.

To complement these efforts, CSAC legislative advocates will submit individual letters and provide public testimony to the budget subcommittees regarding budget proposals for their respective policy areas.

How can I engage with CSAC’s budget advocacy?

As county leaders, this is the moment to make our collective voices heard on the issues that matter most to our communities, ensuring our feedback is considered during budget deliberations. Individual counties can engage with CSAC’s budget advocacy efforts by submitting letters directly to budget committees and meeting with their legislative members to ensure the voices of their communities are heard in addressing their unique needs.

CSAC will continue to publish comprehensive updates on the state budget development process in our weekly bulletin. In the interim, please contact CSAC legislative affairs staff with questions about specific policy areas.