Every district office is budgeted above its prior actual spending
What’s the Scoop With Broach added the five Board of Supervisors district-office lines in Kern County’s Schedule 9. Their combined appropriations rise from $2,814,343 in fiscal 2024–25 actual results to $4,169,092 in the adopted 2025–26 plan. The $1,354,749 increase equals 48.1%.
Each office rises: District 1 from $547,028 to $853,429; District 2 from $481,067 to $809,413; District 3 from $640,275 to $837,203; District 4 from $612,467 to $851,778; and District 5 from $533,506 to $817,269.
| Measure | FY 2024–25 actual | FY 2025–26 adopted | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total appropriations | $2.81M | $4.17M | +48.1% |
| Salaries and benefits | $2.66M | $3.60M | +35.3% |
| Services and supplies | $153,862 | $312,551 | +103.1% |
| Other financing uses | $0 | $255,822 | +$255,822 |
| Operating revenue | $0 | $0 | No change |
Payroll is the largest driver, but purchased services grow fastest
Salaries and benefits rise $940,238, accounting for 69.4% of the combined increase. Services and supplies more than double, adding $158,689. The adopted plan also introduces $255,822 in other financing uses across the offices where the actual column shows none.
Because Schedule 9 shows no revenue for any of the five offices, the county-financed cost equals the combined appropriations. The summary does not identify the recipients or purpose of the new financing-use entries.
What the records establish—and what they do not
The original finding is the scale and consistency of the increase: all five district offices receive more spending authority, and their combined service costs double. The adopted county contribution grows by $1.35 million because the offices have no offsetting operating revenue.
The schedule does not report constituent contacts, casework, staffing vacancies or individual contracts. It therefore cannot determine whether the higher funding will improve service or whether every planned dollar will be spent.
Method and limitations
The newsroom transcribed each district office’s actual and adopted Schedule 9 values, summed like categories and recalculated changes from unrounded figures. The comparison excludes the Clerk of the Board and other countywide units that support the Board.
An adopted budget is an authorization, not an expenditure ledger. Payroll rosters, contracts and later actual results are required to explain the new financing entries and measure what residents received.