Push for Two-Step County Budget Process Fails
- Media
- Apr 15
- 2 min read
County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe’s Wednesday bid to delay the final adoption of the county’s budget for the new fiscal year failed in a 2-1 vote.
Montgomery Steppe had proposed a two-step budget vote that would allow the county to vote to take an initial budget vote ahead of the start of the fiscal year that begins in July and to approve a final budget by Oct. 2. She argued that waiting until this fall to settle on a final budget would help the county respond to an avalanche of uncertainty surrounding federal funding and allow a yet-to-be-elected District 1 supervisor to weigh in.
Supervisor Joel Anderson, who had argued a delayed budget vote could have a negative impact on the county’s credit rating and disproportionately hurt residents of the unincorporated county, killed the proposal with his vote against it. Per county rules, the proposal required three votes to pass.
Anderson’s vote followed confirmation from the county’s chief financial officer that Montgomery Steppe’s proposal wouldn’t have the negative impacts Anderson feared.
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who previously told Voice of San Diego she was reluctant to delay the county’s budget process, ultimately supported fellow Democrat Montgomery Steppe’s proposal because it allowed the county to proceed as planned with public input and an initial vote in June.
Supervisor Jim Desmond, Anderson’s Republican colleague on the board, didn’t attend Wednesday’s meeting.
Voice of San Diego | April 10, 2025
Editor's Comment: I would like to add one small comment. This article implied in its last sentence that Supervisor Jim Desmond just didn't show up for the meeting.
In truth, Supervisor was working very hard in Washington, DC. He was discussing important issues like sewage, homelessness, sand replenishment on our beaches, freeway improvements, San Onofre and spent nuclear fuel. He was fighting for our region and looking for real solutions.
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