San Bernardino County adopts flat $10.9 billion budget, $273.7 million toward targeted priorities

San Bernardino County: The board adopted the FY 2026-27 budget Tuesday, total requirements near $10.9 billion across all county entities. CFO Matthew Erickson framed it as planning for a slow-growth environment from a position of strength. Human Services and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center together run about $4.3 billion — more than 40 percent of the total — and with the Law and Justice group at another 15 percent, over half the budget goes to health, public assistance, and justice services. Headcount rises by 94 net positions to 27,592. Targeted spending includes $2 million for the West End Regional Navigation Center in the Fontana area, $5 million for re-entry and homeless services at Glen Helen, and $2 million in ongoing operations funding for the future Bloomington Animal Shelter. A separate $77.2 million from the general fund goes to capital projects, much of it public safety: a DA facility in the High Desert, sheriff's station remodels, and continued permit-backlog reduction at Land Use Services. The budget holds a 20 percent reserve and a 5 percent contingency.