Five public budget workshops are being announced as the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors works to achieve necessary budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year. The workshops will involve true, two-way communication and will give residents the opportunity to assign their own value to county programs and services. The information gathered during these workshops will assist the board as it faces the difficult task of reducing the budget.
The five workshops will be hosted at the following times and locations:
• Guerneville Veterans Hall, corner of Main and Church streets, Guerneville, April 9, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Healdsburg City Hall, 401 Grove St., Healdsburg, April 16, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Sonoma County Human Services Dept., 2227 Capricorn Way, Santa Rosa, April 23, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Petaluma Veteran’s Building, 1094 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, April 30, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Rohnert Park Library, 6250 Lynne Conde Way, Rohnert Park, May 7, 6 to 8 p.m.
These workshops will include frank discussion of the challenges associated with the budget, as well as group sessions during which participants can help assign priorities to county programs and services.
Recent revenue projections show an initial shortfall of approximately $21.4 million, with the warning that the shortfall will likely increase. The board approved immediate reductions of $10.4 million at its meeting on March 3. The board is seeking input from county residents before deciding how best to make the further cuts that are needed to balance the budget.
