The budget balances on external receipts
Kern County Child Support Services’ total appropriations increase from $30,007,881 in fiscal 2024–25 actual results to $34,233,929 in the adopted 2025–26 budget. The $4,226,048 rise equals 14.1%.
Revenue rises $4,103,286 to the same $34,233,929 total. Intergovernmental revenue supplies $34,144,427 of the adopted amount, while the prior-year actual column showed a $122,762 excess of revenue over appropriations.
| Measure | FY 2024–25 actual | FY 2025–26 adopted | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $30.13M | $34.23M | +$4.10M |
| Salaries and benefits | $26.50M | $29.36M | +$2.87M |
| Services and supplies | $2.82M | $3.38M | +$0.55M |
| Other charges | $0.68M | $1.38M | +$0.70M |
| Total appropriations | $30.01M | $34.23M | +$4.23M |
The fastest growth is outside payroll
Salaries and benefits grow 10.8%, but other charges more than double—from $677,798 to $1,382,566. Services and supplies increase 19.5%, and capital assets rise from $9,463 to $112,000.
The summary schedule does not itemize the other-charges line. It can include pass-through, support or other program expenses, so the increase should not be described as payroll or vendor contracting without more detailed ledgers.
What is distinctive about the adopted plan
The original finding is a spending-mix change inside a program whose adopted costs are matched by projected receipts: non-payroll categories grow faster than payroll, and other charges account for about one-sixth of the entire year-over-year increase.
The budget does not report collections, cases, order-establishment time, arrears, staffing vacancies or service outcomes. A balanced plan does not show whether families receive faster or more effective service.
Method and limitations
The newsroom compared Schedule 9’s actual and adopted columns, recalculated category changes and did not infer a county subsidy because the adopted revenue and appropriation totals match.
The 2024–25 actual column and 2025–26 adopted column are different kinds of measures. Intergovernmental funding can change with caseload and claims, and later actuals are required to test the plan.