OROVILLE >> Budget season is here, and the boost from Measure H is looking to start Butte County’s process of stabilizing its finances for the long haul.

A public hearing is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday to present the proposed 2025-26 fiscal year budget. This year’s budget comes out to $1.1 billion, an increase from the 2024-25 budget by $53.4 million.

It should be noted that the vast majority of this budget is mandatory spending with funds from the state and federal levels.

“The Recommended Budget for General Fund Operating is $305.2 million, which is an increase of $70 million from fiscal year 2024-25,” said the staff report from Butte County Chief Administrative Officer Andy Pickett. “Much of this increase is due to the passage of Measure H, the 1-cent local sales tax measure approved in November 2024, which accounts for approximately $48 million of the increase.”

During the public hearing, a breakdown of the budget will be provided to the board as well as the public with individual recommendations from each department.

The projected increase in revenue from Measure H will be reflected throughout the requests with additional staffing, services and salary adjustments.

Other business

Aside from discussing and adopting the new budget, the board will consider the following:

• Possible future projects related to Camp Fire recovery with funding through the Community Development Block Grant program.

• A series of contracts for services will be considered with organizations such as Rush Personnel for employment and Victor Community Support Services for counseling.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors generally meets at 9 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at its chambers located at 25 County Center Drive, Suite 205 in Oroville. Meetings are free and open to the public.