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Budgeting amid slower property tax growth

Property tax is the county’s main discretionary revenue. After nearly a decade of ~6.8% average assessed-value growth, 2026–27 growth is projected at only about 2.23%—the lowest since 2012—due to fewer home sales, higher interest rates, and softening logistics. Leaders are pairing a ~$10.9 billion balanced budget and $273.7 million in priority investments with reserves, contingency funding, and caution about federal/state uncertainty and litigation costs.

How should San Bernardino County respond to significantly slower property-tax growth in the 2026–27 budget and beyond?

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Sources

San Bernardino County leadership — https://main.sbcounty.gov/2026/05/07/countys-2026-27-budget-workshop-balances-strategic-investments-with-economic-uncertainty
After nearly a decade of annual assessed valuation growth averaging 6.8 percent, the county is projecting significantly slower property tax growth of approximately 2.23 percent in 2026-27 — the lowest projected growth rate since 2012.
CEO Luther Snoke — https://main.sbcounty.gov/2026/03/26/county-leaders-outline-long-term-strategy-in-2026-27-budget-overview
We want to be strategic in how we use our resources. That means being responsible and consistent with our ongoing revenues, targeting one-time funding carefully, continuing to prioritize people and leverage technology, while maintaining a sustainable approach for the future.
First District Supervisor Col. Paul Cook (Ret.) — https://main.sbcounty.gov/2026/06/11/supervisors-approve-balanced-2026-27-budget-investing-over-273-million-in-county-priorities
Developing a balanced budget requires balancing priorities, planning for the future and making difficult decisions
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Raise progressive local revenues to protect and expand social and health programs despite slow growth
  2. Use one-time funds for vulnerable residents and capital needs while holding core services steady
  3. Balance modest priority investments with larger reserves and multi-year spending restraint
  4. Freeze most new programs and prioritize public safety and infrastructure only
  5. Deeply cut discretionary spending and avoid new commitments until growth returns

Unfunded retiree health benefits for safety employees

Reporting on San Bernardino County’s 2026 election cycle describes Board of Supervisors support for creating an other post-employment benefits (OPEB) arrangement for Safety Employees Benefit Association (sheriff’s deputies/officers) retiree health coverage without a contemporaneous funding plan, raising concerns that future costs could fall on the general fund rather than employee contributions, alongside discussion of union political influence.

Should San Bernardino County create retiree health (OPEB) benefits for sheriff’s deputies without a dedicated pre-funding plan?

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Sources

SBCSentinel — https://sbcsentinel.com/2026/05/san-bernardino-governmental-corruption-apparent-in-2026-election-cycle
In gearing up to approve the other postemployment benefit for the Safety Employees Benefit Association, the board of supervisors made no arrangement for funding the program, deferring into the future the provision of money that would be used to pay for the health insurance the retired sheriff’s deputies/officers were to receive. This meant that ultimately the money to pay for the medical care trust program, instead of being defrayed by contributions from deputies/officers who were still working, would come out of the county’s general operating budget
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Provide robust retiree health benefits fully backed by progressive county revenue
  2. Approve benefits only with shared employee-employer pre-funding and transparency
  3. Delay new OPEB until an actuarially sound funding schedule is adopted
  4. Reject new unfunded OPEB and limit retiree health to existing narrower plans
  5. End county-paid retiree health expansions and shift costs entirely to employees