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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday adopted a budget designed to maintain essential services while preparing for future needs and uncertainty in state and federal funding.
The County’s final 2026-27 budget continues funding for health care, affordable housing, food assistance, public safety and other key services while moving forward with investments in long-term needs.
“We are expecting significant fiscal changes from the state and federal levels, and this budget will allow us to continue providing the services that tens of thousands of residents rely on us for,” Board President Noelia Corzo said. “We are committed to softening the blow for our county’s most vulnerable residents while preparing us all for what comes next.”
Changes on the horizon include new federal eligibility, work and documentation requirements for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, along with funding changes that could increase the number of uninsured residents who turn to County services. About 52,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries in San Mateo County are expected to navigate the new requirements.
Without state action, San Mateo County could lose up to 1,000 jobs – 600 of them within the County government alone – and be forced to cut vital programs relied on by the county’s most vulnerable residents.
This is driven by a persistent and worsening Vehicle License Fee revenue withholding that the state has yet to resolve with San Mateo County and other affected jurisdictions. The estimated shortfall for the County and its 20 cities in 2025-26 stands at $226 million and will surpass $1 billion by 2030, creating a loss that will be felt in every community and sector across the county.
The state has committed to working with San Mateo County and other affected jurisdictions toward a long-term solution to close this gap. But a commitment to talk is not a commitment to pay, and the time for talk has run out.
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