Mendocino County is legally required to pass a balanced budget — but not one that creates jobs, fixes roads, protects the environment or builds affordable housing.
That was the stark backdrop for a contentious discussion at the May 21 Board of Supervisors meeting, where supervisors voted 3-2 to ask department heads — including the sheriff and chief probation officer — to propose 10% cuts to their budgets.
Supervisors Ted Williams, John Haschak and Madeline Cline voted in favor of the request. Supervisors Mo Mulheren and Bernie Norvell opposed it, but did not offer alternative proposals for closing the county’s growing budget gap.
“The executive office has to publish a balanced draft budget, with or without us,” said Williams. “If they have less information to work with, they’re going to have to reduce departments by whatever percent is necessary to balance. That’s the reality.”
Only $18.49 million in unrestricted funds remain after covering core public safety costs such as the sheriff’s office, jail, probation and public defense and committed funding obligations (operating transfer out). Sheriff Matt Kendall warned that further cuts would significantly impact public safety.
“Ten percent for the sheriff’s office is $2.8 million,” Kendall said. “We haven’t increased our deputy numbers since I was born. The population has grown by 80% since 1970. We’re doing more with less every single year.”
Kendall also said the county is bearing the cost of unfunded mandates from the state, including tasks that should fall under the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“They’ve got plenty of staff, and they’ll gladly stand back with their hands in their pockets while we do the work,” Kendall said. “If we’re taking on their responsibilities, we should be reimbursed.”
Chief Probation Officer Isen Locatelli raised similar concerns, citing state-mandated staffing at juvenile hall.
“If we cut 10%, we’ll have to backfill with overtime. That doesn’t save money,” he said. Locatelli added that Mendocino County spends significantly less on probation than comparable counties — just 28–32% of probation’s budget comes from the general fund, compared to 40–72% elsewhere.
Supervisor Mulheren criticized the process itself, calling it reactionary.
“The way we approach the budget is not thoughtful,” she said. “It causes harm — not only within the agency, but also in the community.”
Norvell echoed concerns about cuts to public safety, saying both the sheriff’s office and probation are already stretched too thin.
“I think they’re doing as deep a dive as they can,” Norvell said. “Mr. Locatelli is in an even worse position. He’s starting with less and working with less.”
While Supervisor Cline expressed concern that a 10% cut would be applied across the board, Williams clarified that the motion was meant to gather information — not impose an immediate reduction.
“If we don’t like the proposal that comes back, we can change it,” he said. “But we cannot spend more than our forecasted revenue. That’s not optional.”
A draft budget is now available on the county’s website. The public can weigh in during the next Board of Supervisors meeting, scheduled for June 3.
