Stanislaus County supervisors are poised to vote on Sept. 19 to approve the final budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year which started on July 1.

The budget calls for $1,265,328,047 in spending, an $82.9 million (seven percent increase) over last year’s budget. The county expects to receive $1,192,446,520 in revenue, a $68.1 million (6.1 percent) increase over the 2017-18 budget.

The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing to adopt the budget at 6:35 p.m. Sept. 19 at 1010 10th Street in Modesto in the basement Board Chambers.

The budget includes an overall increase of 33 positions, leaving the county with 4,469 employees. Twenty-two positions will support the Healthy Community departments due to an increase in state and federal mandates, a need for additional supervision, and clerical, accounting and fiscal support to increase efficiencies and enhance current services. The remainder of the positions will address organizational needs for staff training and development, program compliance, and facility maintenance requirements. All but three of the positions are supported with external funding.

Of the $1.27 billion budget, only $205.8 million is discretionary revenue and represents an increase of $2.1 million from the prior budget cycle, primarily due to a 5.7 percent increase in tax assessments among properties located outside of the nine cities. Discretionary revenue is unrestricted money the county is free to use for things like public safety, healthcare, parks or other services.

As the County completes a significant period of transition with the appointment of Jody Hayes to the Chief Executive Officer position, the focus of the budget is “Striving together to be the best.”

“This is more than a motto to me, it serves as a catalyst for continuous improvement through a focus on partnership and teamwork,” said Hayes.

The proposed final budget is available for public review at the county’s website at www.stancounty.com/budget/ or at any of the county’s 13 libraries.