San Bernardino County & City adopt FY 2026-27 budgets: $10.9B + $329.5M

San Bernardino-area residents got a clearer, official picture of how local services will be funded after the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors adopted the FY 2026-27 county budget on June 9, 2026, and the City of San Bernardino City Council adopted the city’s FY 2026-27 operating budget plus a 2027–2031 Capital Improvement Plan on June 17, 2026.

Below is a plain-English guide to what changed, what stayed a priority, and where to look if you want to connect the budgets to day-to-day services like public safety capital, homelessness response, and street/quality-of-life improvements.

Two votes, two scopes (and one key idea: timing matters)

County: The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the county’s FY 2026-27 budget during the June 9 meeting/public-hearing process.

City: The City Council unanimously adopted the FY 2026-27 operating budget and the 2027–2031 CIP at its June 17 meeting.

Important: the county budget is for the county’s FY 2026-27 operations; the city’s capital plan spans multiple years, so construction timing can vary even when projects are already listed in the CIP.

County budget snapshot: about $10.9B total, $273.7M in targeted priorities

The county’s adopted budget is described as an approximately $10.9 billion plan that invests $273.7 million in targeted county priorities while maintaining core services and preserving financial stability.

The county also emphasized that slower growth and fiscal uncertainty are part of the planning picture. For example, it projects property-tax revenue growth of about 2.23% in 2026–27, below the 10-year average of 6.8%. It also flagged potential federal impacts (including H.R. 1 changes affecting CalFresh and Medi-Cal), describing potential administrative cost exposure for CalFresh of $10.7 million annually.

And one key caution for readers: of the $273.7 million targeted priorities, the county says roughly $250 million is one-time funding aimed at targeted investments—not simply broad-based recurring spending increases.

Where the county says the money is going: homelessness + public safety capital

The county’s highlighted priority areas include both homelessness-related investments and public-safety capital projects.

Homelessness response examples (one-time/targeted): $2 million for the West End Regional Navigation Center (a homeless services partnership with Fontana-area cities), and $5 million for the New Beginnings Campus at Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center, supporting re-entry and homeless services. The county also lists $2 million in ongoing funding for future Bloomington Animal Shelter operations.
Public safety capital (general-fund capital discussion): $77.2 million toward capital projects, including planned acquisition of a facility for the District Attorney’s Office in the High Desert, Sheriff’s Department station remodels and new specialized enforcement division buildings, plus continued development assistance intended to help the Land Use Services department reduce its permit backlog.

So what for residents: if you depend on county-administered services, the adopted budget gives you a clearer line of sight to why the county is emphasizing homelessness response and public-safety infrastructure. But because the county frames much of the targeted funding as one-time, it’s worth treating “priority” as a budget decision—not automatically as a guarantee that the same dollars will repeat indefinitely.

City budget snapshot: $329.5M operating + about $165M in active CIP projects entering FY 2026-27

The city’s adopted budget announcement describes a $329.5 million FY 2026-27 operating budget that includes nearly $10 million in new capital improvement funds for infrastructure projects.

On finances, the city says its General Fund maintains a projected reserve of about $104.9 million, which it describes as significantly exceeding reserve policy requirements. The city also acknowledges there is a projected gap between recurring revenues and expenditures, and frames the response as continuing budget discipline and efforts to diversify/grow the revenue base.

On services, the city says the adopted budget continues funding for core City functions, including police, parks and recreation, library services, public works, code enforcement, economic development, and homelessness response programs, including year-round recreation programming and neighborhood quality-of-life investments.

For capital, the city says its CIP includes approximately $165 million in active capital projects entering FY 2026-27, including street rehabilitation, park improvements, and homeless facilities.

Arts funding: a small appropriation, but a clear stated priority

At the budget hearing, the city council voted to appropriate $1 million from the Cultural Development Fund for arts initiatives, and said it will consider future actions related to arts and cultural programming (including the potential establishment of an Arts and Culture Committee).

Where to check the details (and the fastest “resident usefulness” tip)

To verify how these priorities show up in line items, start with:

County: the County Administrative Office’s Finance & Administration – Budget page, which is meant to help readers navigate county budget structure and materials.
City: the City’s Budget Books archive/index, including the city’s “Budget in Brief” materials.

Practical tip: when you’re trying to understand what changes “next,” cross-check (1) the service department discussion in the operating budget with (2) the specific capital projects listed in the city’s CIP. That’s the quickest way to connect adopted funding decisions to the real-world streets, parks, and facilities residents may see over time.

Sources

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